Case Study – One Hudson Yards

The Design Approach

“It’s not about luxury being exclusive and haughty,” Kikoski says. “It’s about luxury being welcoming, celebrating craftsmanship, and creating an emotional warmth and richness. The goal for us, ultimately, was to create a sense of joy and emotional wellbeing.” The synthesis between art and architecture drive Kikoski’s work, which can be seen in his recent work designing The Wright restaurant at the Guggenheim Museum. This aesthetic was carried through to his work at One Hudson Yards where Kikoski created a vision of livable luxury. Incorporating unconventionally artful and exotic materials, he created an environment that is sophisticated and luxurious, yet warm and inviting. Kikoski’s vision was brought to fruition through his choice of unique materials of unrivaled elegance and quality from the far-flung corners of the world. He even commissioned work from global artisans and craftsmen, procuring bespoke products from the finest furniture builders and industry-leading lighting and plumbing fixture manufacturers. The refined level of quality can be seen throughout the communal spaces and apartments of One Hudson Yards — all of which showcase custom and vintage furniture, contemporary art pieces, marble kitchen countertops, and an array of high-quality textures throughout. Nothing was spared, not even in the bathrooms. Kikoski used St. Laurent marble for the floors and Brazilian quartzite for the vanities and walls.

Kikoski + Kohler

“It’s American craft,” says Kikoski. “And it’s the best of all worlds. Kohler has incredible resources and incredible local traditions and people who are aligned to make things happen. It has the personal attention of a mom-and-pop shop, yet it has a global presence.”

For Kikoski, a collaboration with a design-forward company like Kohler made perfect sense. The style and quality of KOHLER® and KALLISTA®—a subsidiary of Kohler Co. known for its thoughtfully created luxury faucets and fixtures—simply fit the aesthetic goals better than any other brand. Kohler’s capacity to execute grand design ideas paralleled Kikoski’s boundary-pushing textural visions. This ultimately led him to select KOHLER and KALLISTA as brand partners in design.

Design Better Bathrooms

The sculptural forms, unconventional materials, and luxurious finishes of the KOHLER and KALLISTA products echoed the design aesthetic throughout the interior of One Hudson Yards. Kikoski chose some of Kohler's finest products, such as San Souci_® toilets and Verticyl_® bathroom sinks, pairing them with Underscore_® and Bellwether_® bathtubs and then dressing them with the refined accents of KALLISTA’s dual-function handshowers and One™ collection accessories. Kikoski even chose the clean, geometric marble-embedded handles of the One Decorative faucet — which he designed himself.

The collaboration was a success — not only yielding beautiful results but highlighting the design values of Kohler — which were in perfect sync with Kikoski’s. He noted the principles shared by Kohler: the ideas about emotional connection, an emphasis on experience, and the goal to always create something iconic with a high value on art. “These principles have been important throughout the history of Kohler,” he says, “and they’re so much a part of the DNA of our firm.”

Signs of Success

Great architectural design is less about the aesthetic choices than it is about creating something people love. One Hudson Yards is the fastest-growing development area in New York City with apartments being rented faster than in any other building. Kikoski’s goal, above all else, was to design a sophisticated but warm landscape in which people feel comfortable. Thanks to the unrivaled design quality and collaborations between artisans and brands like KOHLER, One Hudson Yards has achieved Kikoski’s goal — making people feel welcomed, making them feel at home.

Explore all of the KOHLER products used throughout this property in the project portfolio below.