Interiors · New York
Reading time: 7 minRelated Companies unveils Residence 25, a nearly 3,000 sq. ft. model residence within Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th, where interior designer Eric Cohler layers colour, art and eclectic furnishings against one of New York’s most distinctive architectural backdrops.
There are certain buildings where the architecture arrives first, long before you step through the door. Zaha Hadid’s 520 West 28th is one of them. Its sweeping steel curves have become part of the visual language of West Chelsea, and any interior designer invited to work within its walls inherits both a privilege and a challenge: how do you furnish a home whose architecture already speaks with such authority?
This is the question at the heart of the latest model residence unveiled by Related Companies. Residence 25, a three-bedroom home covering nearly 3,000 sq. ft., has been placed in the hands of New York interior designer Eric Cohler, and the result offers an updated glimpse into what a quintessential 21st-century home in this landmark building can look like. It is a residence that respects Hadid’s vision while confidently introducing a voice of its own, and for me, it is one of the most successful interpretations of the building’s interiors to date.
Zaha Hadid’s New York Statement
To understand what Cohler has achieved here, it helps to understand the canvas he was given. 520 West 28th holds a singular place in New York’s architectural story. Rising beside the High Line in West Chelsea, it was the first and only residential building in the city designed by the late Zaha Hadid, completed by her studio as a lasting expression of her fluid, sculptural approach to form.
The building’s hand-crafted metal façade moves in interlocking curves, wrapping the structure in a continuous ribbon of chevrons that seems to flow rather than stack. Crucially, that language does not stop at the front door. Inside, Hadid’s distinctive structural curvature carries through the ceilings, windows and walls of each residence, meaning the architecture remains a constant presence in daily life. Few New York homes ask their interiors to hold a conversation with the building itself. This one insists on it.
The setting only heightens the effect. West Chelsea has become one of the city’s most compelling design destinations over the past decade, its gallery district and the elevated park of the High Line drawing a concentration of ambitious residential architecture found almost nowhere else in New York. Even in that company, 520 West 28th stands apart. It is a building people cross the neighbourhood to look at, which raises the stakes considerably for anyone tasked with designing what lies behind its curves.
It is precisely this dialogue between architecture and interior that makes each new model residence at 520 West 28th worth paying attention to. Every designer who takes on the building must decide whether to defer to Hadid entirely or to push against her. Cohler, to his credit, does neither.
The Eric Cohler Approach
Eric Cohler has long been celebrated for his layered, eclectic approach to interior design, mixing periods, patterns and provenance with a confidence that has defined his New York practice for decades. In Residence 25, that instinct is given full expression, but always in service of the space rather than in competition with it.
Cohler respects Hadid’s vision throughout the residence while infusing his unique style through colour, art, textiles and upscale furnishings. Each area of the living space possesses its own distinct character, achieved by combining various patterns, furniture styles and colour schemes, yet nothing feels disconnected. Instead, the scheme celebrates the building’s fabric, allowing those signature curves in the ceilings and walls to frame each composed moment.
What stands out most is the discipline beneath the eclecticism. It would be easy, in a home of this scale and pedigree, to over-decorate. Cohler resists that temptation. The layering here is purposeful, creating depth and personality without ever obscuring the architectural essence that makes the building what it is.
Art plays a particularly important role in that balance. Throughout the residence, carefully placed pieces provide moments of colour and focus, anchoring each space and giving the furnishings around them a reason to gather. Combined with the textiles, which range from crisp upholstery to softer, more tactile layers, they lend the home the feeling of a residence assembled over time rather than staged for a single photograph. That, in the end, is what separates a memorable model residence from a merely polished one.
Living with Curvature
The heart of the residence is its open living, dining and kitchen space, and it is here that the interplay between Hadid’s architecture and Cohler’s interiors is at its most compelling.
A key element of the interior is the high-gloss, curved floor-to-ceiling unit that separates the kitchen and breakfast bar from the main living and dining spaces. It is a piece of architecture in its own right, and Cohler treats it as such. On one side, a stunning custom-made seating arrangement, upholstered in a captivating white and blue fabric, follows the curvature of the unit precisely, softening its glossy surface with texture and inviting the eye to travel along its sweep. On the opposing side, integrated storage sits alongside an oven and other kitchen appliances, keeping the working functions of the home discreetly contained.
This is intelligent design at a very practical level. The unit divides without enclosing, allowing the main living space to retain its generous, light-filled openness while giving the kitchen a defined identity of its own. Boundaries are suggested rather than enforced, which feels entirely in keeping with Hadid’s fluid architectural language.
“Few New York homes ask their interiors to hold a conversation with the building itself. This one insists on it.”
A Kitchen of Light and Line
The kitchen itself highlights clean lines and smooth surfaces, arranged around a central breakfast bar and preparation island shaped into the distinct angular form so typical of Zaha Hadid’s designs. It is a sculptural anchor for the space, and Cohler wisely keeps the surrounding palette restrained to let it perform.
Glossy white surfaces contrast beautifully with matte finishes throughout, creating a dynamic interplay of light that evolves as the day progresses. This is one of the quieter pleasures of the residence: the way morning light, afternoon sun and evening lamplight each reveal a slightly different character in the same materials. Chrome fixtures and fittings reflect small bursts of colour drawn from the kitchen’s decor, including the artwork and upholstery fabrics nearby, stitching the space into the wider scheme without a single unnecessary gesture.
Bedrooms Designed Around Natural Light
Moving into the private quarters, the atmosphere shifts. The bedrooms are designed to maximise natural light, with large floor-to-ceiling windows framing the building’s sculptural exterior and drawing the West Chelsea skyline into the room. In a building celebrated for its façade, there is something quietly satisfying about interiors that turn that façade into a living artwork, viewed from within.
Cohler introduces subtle blue tones through the bedroom’s wall colours and a selection of carefully chosen accessories: a striking rug, layered textiles and delicate glassware. It is a soft, enveloping palette, calibrated for rest rather than display, and it demonstrates the designer’s range. The same hand responsible for the bold pattern play of the living spaces knows exactly when to pull back.
This tonal shift between the public and private areas of the home is one of the residence’s great strengths. Each room carries its own identity, yet all are connected through a shared design language, giving the home cohesion without repetition.
Marble, Contrast and a View to Remember
The bathrooms continue the residence’s dialogue between drama and restraint. Expansive white marble slabs line the walls and floors, their veining providing all the pattern these rooms require, while bold black fixtures punctuate the scheme and deepen the interior’s aesthetic. The contrast is crisp, confident and quietly luxurious.
The centrepiece, however, needs little introduction. An impressive freestanding bathtub commands the space, positioned to offer uninterrupted views across New York City and the surrounding neighbourhood. It is the kind of moment that model residences are made for, but it never feels like theatre for its own sake. Rather, it distils what living at 520 West 28th promises: architecture, comfort and the city, all held in a single frame.
A Model Residence That Understands Its Building
Model residences occupy an unusual place in the design world. They must be aspirational yet believable, distinctive yet broadly appealing, and they are often the first true test of how a building’s architecture translates into daily life. Many fall back on safe, neutral schemes. Residence 25 does not.
Eric Cohler’s model residence at 520 West 28th transcends many other interior designs of its kind. Its eclectic style harmoniously complements Hadid’s unmistakable building, defining and enriching the interior spaces without ever detracting from the architectural essence around them. Colour is used with intent, craftsmanship is given room to breathe, and the building’s celebrated curvature is treated as a collaborator rather than a constraint.
For me, that is the measure of success in a project like this. The best interiors within landmark architecture do not compete for attention; they hold a confident conversation with their surroundings. Cohler understands this instinctively, and Residence 25 is richer for it.
For Related Companies, the unveiling adds another persuasive chapter to the story of 520 West 28th, a building that continues to set the standard for architect-led residential design in New York. And for those of us who follow the city’s interiors closely, it is a welcome reminder that even the most iconic architecture is only ever half the story. The other half begins when a designer of Cohler’s calibre steps inside.
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