Michael Gabellini, FAIA

Working with space and light as sculptural materials, Michael Gabellini constructs architectural settings that are at once elemental in form and dramatic in their purity of means.

As an innovator in spatial branding, Mr. Gabellini and his firm, Gabellini Sheppard Associates, have designed distinct boutiques, showroom facilities, restaurants, and corporate headquarters for Jil Sander, Giorgio Armani, Salvatore Ferragamo, Vera Wang, Nicole Farhi, Gianfranco Ferre, Bergdorf Goodman, and Saks Fifth Avenue, among others. In designing residential and hotel interiors, Mr. Gabellini creates individual spatial portraits reflecting the lifestyles and programmatic needs of his clients. His expertise in contemporary art has led to commissions by numerous galleries and museums including the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum, the Marian Goodman Gallery, and Grant Selwyn Fine Art. Additionally, his respect for and knowledge of architectural history is manifest in the restoration of important architectural landmarks such as the Top of the Rock project at Rockefeller Center, the Fifth Avenue facades of Rockefeller Center, London’s Royal Bank of Scotland building, and the former AT&T Building in Lower Manhattan.

Cross-discipline collaboration is of paramount importance to Mr. Gabellini, who founded his architectural and interior design firm in 1991. A registered architect in the states of New York and Nevada, and a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, he earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design. He also studied at the Architectural Association in London and conducted extensive architectural research in Rome.

In addition to his studio work, Mr. Gabellini has lectured and taught design studios at numerous academic institutions. He received the 2006 National Design Award in Interior Design from the Smithsonian Cooper- Hewitt National Design Museum and was previously inducted into the Interior Design Hall of Fame. The studio has received 17 awards from the American Institute of Architects, and dozens more from various professional organizations and magazines. Prior to founding his own firm, he worked as a senior designer at Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in New York for six years, where he contributed to international high- rise projects. During this period, he also collaborated with the interior designer Jay Smith on a number of residential and fashion-related projects.