The Interior Design Department at NYC’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) just named designer Tony Chi the 2015 recipient of the Lawrence Israel Prize. The prize is awarded annually to an individual or firm whose work and ideas enrich FIT Interior Design students’ course of study.
Chi, a hospitality designer and creative developer, is founder of the firm tonychi and associates. He will discuss his work in a talk titled "Invisible Design” on Thursday, April 23, at 6 p.m. in the Katie Murphy Amphitheater at FIT (Seventh Avenue at 27th Street). The talk is free, open to the public and does not require an RSVP.
Tony Chi. Image courtesy of Mandarin Oriental Tapei.
“You can’t have a warm feeling without a cool element, the yin and yang,” said Chi about his design/life philosophy. “You can’t have roughness without smoothness.”
Similar to the concept of “chi” in Chinese philosophy, Chi imbues his work with a sense of balance, seen in his restaurant interiors worldwide, including Spoon by Alain Ducasse in Hong Kong, Namu in Seoul, and Asiate in the TimeWarner Center in New York. His work has received accolades from the James Beard Foundation, the Gold Key Awards, and Esquire and Interior Design magazines.
Chi also has a reputation as a creative developer for hotels and has worked on projects such as the Park Hyatt Shanghai, InterContinental Geneve, Andaz Tokyo, Rosewood London and Andaz Fifth Avenue in New York City.
The Lawrence Israel Prize was endowed by architect Lawrence J. Israel in 1998 and has been awarded annually since then. Each recipient is invited to give a public talk at FIT.
