Tony Chi
{{short description|American interior designer|bot=PearBOT 5}}
{{infobox person
|name=Tony Chi
|birth_place=Taipei, Taiwan
|nationality=American
|education=High School of Art and Design
Fashion Institute of Technology
|occupation=Interior designer
|spouse=Tammy Chou
}}
Tony Chi is an American interior designer. He is the co-founder of New York-based design firm tonychi studio together with Tammy Chou.{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/17/business/seeking-hospitality-outside-its-traditional-realm.html?_r=0 |title=Seeking Hospitality Outside Its Traditional Realm |author=Chi, Tony |work=New York Times |date=16 March 2015 |accessdate=16 March 2015}}
Early life and education
Chi was born in Taipei, Taiwan, the youngest of five children. He later moved to New York's Lower East Side at the age of six.{{cite web|url=https://www.departures.com/travel/travel/hotel-designer-tony-chi?_r=0 |title=Hotel Designer Tony Chi |author=Bernstein, Fred |publisher=Departures |accessdate=2 March 2012}} He attended the High School of Art and Design and studied interior design at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT).{{cite web|url=http://hue.fitnyc.edu/a-soul-of-a-space-renowned-hospitality-designer-tony-chi-interior-design-79-enriches-guests-inner-lives/?_r=0 |title=The Soul of a Space |author=Joseph, Alexander |publisher=Hue |accessdate=12 August 2015}}
Career
After graduating from FIT in 1984, Chi and his wife opened a Hunan-Sichuan restaurant, which later closed in 1996.
Chi got his start designing restaurants for Charles Morris Mount Design, and left to found his namesake studio in 1984 with wife Tammy Chou.{{cite web|url=http://www.interiordesign.net/articles/6730-tony-chi/?_r=0 |title=Tony Chi: 2009 Hall of Fame Inductee |publisher=Interior Design |accessdate=31 May 2014}}
Following the stock market crash of 1987, Chi traveled abroad to create food and beverage concepts throughout Asia from Hong Kong to Jakarta. In Hong Kong, he met the real estate developer Allan Zeman and restaurateur Paul Hsu, and the trio started transforming the island's Lan Kwai Fong district into an entertainment destination, which was the start of his international career in design.{{cite web|title=Interior Design|url=https://interiordesign.net/designwire/tony-chi/}}
Chi later designed restaurants for chefs like Wolfgang Puck, Alain Ducasse and Michael Mina.{{cite web|url=http://www.metropolismag.com/uncategorized/speaking-from-experience-2/?_r=0 |title=Speaking From Experience |author=Kristal, Marc |publisher=Metropolis |accessdate=1 July 2008}} Later, Chi began to expand his portfolio to include hotel interiors, from Santiago to Geneva, developing his signature "invisible design" aesthetic, or that which you do not necessarily see, but feel and perceive.{{cite web|url=http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1376379/of-sublime-beauty-and-sustainable-design-an-interview-with?_r=0 |title=Of Sublime Beauty and Sustainable Design: An Interview with Designer Tony Chi |author=Lai Chow, Low |publisher=Blouin Artinfo |accessdate=12 April 2016}}
In 2019, Chi's daughter Alison Chi took lead as the head of creative development at his studio, with long-time associate Bill Paley as creative director and lead designer.
Notable projects
Notable hospitality projects in the tonychi studio portfolio include:
- Park Hyatt Shanghai (2008){{cite web|url=https://www.wallpaper.com/travel/park-hyatt-shanghai?_r=0 |title=Park Hyatt Shanghai |date=4 February 2009 |publisher=Wallpaper* |accessdate=4 February 2009}}
- W Santiago (2009){{cite web|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D00E1D81F3CF936A15753C1A96F9C8B63?_r=0 |title=New W Hotel In Santiago |author=Howard, Hilary |work=New York Times |accessdate=25 October 2009}}
- Andaz 5th Avenue New York (2010)
- Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow (2011){{cite web|url=http://www.blouinartinfo.com/news/story/1253815/mr-tripper-is-back-from-ararat-park-hyatt-moscow?_r=0 |title=Mr. Tripper is Back From... Ararat Park Hyatt Moscow |publisher=Blouin Artinfo|accessdate=8 October 2015}}
- Grand Hyatt Erawan, Bangkok (2012)
- Grand Hyatt Berlin (2013)
- InterContinental Geneva (2013){{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com/sites/lauriewerner/2013/12/29/the-newest-top-hotel-suite-in-geneva-high-style-at-56000-a-night/#2ce85c825d88?_r=0 |title=The Newest Top Hotel Suite In Geneva: High Style At $56,000 A Night |author=Werner, Laurie |work=Forbes.com |accessdate=29 December 2013}}
- Mandarin Oriental Guangzhou (2013){{cite web|url=http://www.interiordesign.net/projects/9908-2013-boy-winner-foreign-hotel-tony-chi-and-associates/?_r=0 |title=2013 BOY Winner: Foreign Hotel |author=Kellogg, Craig |publisher=Interior Design |accessdate=24 December 2013}}
- Rosewood London (2013){{cite web|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/design/london-design-hotspot-rosewood-hotel-a3120021.html?_r=0 |title=Design hotspot: Rosewood London |author=Langley, Edwina |publisher=Evening Standard |accessdate=25 November 2015}}
- Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills (2014){{cite web|url=http://www.coolhunting.com/travel/andaz-tokyo?_r=0 |title=Andaz Tokyo Toranomon Hills |author=Shin, Nara |date=31 October 2014 |publisher=Cool Hunting |accessdate=31 October 2014}}
- Grand Hyatt Chengdu (2016){{cite web|url=https://www.hospitalitydesign.com/projects/hotels-resorts-wellness/grand-hyatt-chengdu/?_r=0 |title=Grand Hyatt Chengdu |author=Lo, Rebecca |publisher=Hospitality Design |accessdate=11 April 2017}}
- Park Hyatt Washington (2006, 2017){{cite web|url=https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/hotels-article-122006?_r=0 |title=Twist on Tradition |author=Turrentine, Jeff |publisher=Architectural Digest |accessdate=30 November 2006}}
- Park Hyatt Kyoto (2019)
- Rosewood Hong Kong (2019)
- Andaz Shenzhen Bay (2021)
- The Carlyle, a Rosewood Hotel (2021)
- Grand Hyatt Gurgaon (2022)
Awards
References
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Category:American interior designers
Category:Fashion Institute of Technology alumni
Category:People from the Lower East Side
Category:High School of Art and Design alumni