After ten years of orchestrating exhibitions in various Manhattan residences, Radnor is establishing a permanent gallery presence in Brooklyn, a move that harks back to the studio's origins. For many years, the studio has operated from Gowanus's American Can Factory, with a significant portion of its design collaborators, including Egg Collective, Workstead, and Pelle, having cultivated their early careers in Brooklyn's creative spaces. The new penthouse gallery at Brooklyn Tower coincides with Radnor's 10th anniversary, symbolizing both a return to its roots and a fresh manifestation of founder Susan Clark's vision to display collectible design within environments where they can be experienced as part of everyday living.
This innovative display method has been a core principle for Radnor from its inception. In 2018, the exhibition 'Material Interiors' transformed a two-bedroom residence at David Chipperfield Architects' The Bryant into a fully immersive installation. Co-curated with Workstead, the exhibit was meticulously shaped by the apartment’s distinct features, such as its herringbone oak floors and honed-terrazzo borders. Three years later, Clark extended this format to a residence at 180 East 88th Street on the Upper East Side. Here, in collaboration with Elizabeth Roberts Architects, an experiential showroom was created, pairing Radnor’s curated selection with Roberts’s debut Radnor Made collection. Most recently, 'Evolution in Form' was presented in a 5,000-square-foot Sutton Tower penthouse, 70 floors above Manhattan, utilizing Thomas Juul-Hansen’s architectural design to frame a more minimalist showcase of collectible design.
The Brooklyn Tower, a supertall skyscraper by SHoP Architects that now defines the Downtown Brooklyn skyline, continues this tradition within a nearly 6,000-square-foot, full-floor penthouse. With impressive 12-foot ceilings and expansive views of Manhattan and Brooklyn, this setting functions as both an art gallery and a luxury residence. It allows visitors to engage with design objects not merely as isolated exhibits, but as integral components of a living space. The inaugural program emphasizes this commitment to material presence through a solo exhibition of new handwoven artworks by Los Angeles-based artist Rachel DuVall. DuVall's creative process begins with the inherent grid of weaving, where warp and weft meet perpendicularly, then subtly challenges this structural rigidity through intentional irregularities in her handiwork. For this particular series, DuVall integrates a painted layer beneath the woven surface, allowing naturally dyed fibers in shades of mossy green, indigo, and ochre to interact with a colored background rather than a traditional blank canvas. These stretched, framed textile pieces transcend their craft, presenting themselves as tactile paintings. Strategically placed throughout the penthouse's expansive rooms, they offer a subtle contrast to the building's towering height, abundant light, and panoramic vistas. This installation further highlights the evolution of Clark's curatorial approach over the past decade: each unique setting provides designers with a specific architectural context to respond to, simultaneously offering visitors an intimate understanding of how distinct objects can shape the ambiance of a home. For Clark, this milestone signifies not just an anniversary, but a deepened connection to place and purpose. By seamlessly integrating the roles of retailer, gallery, and manufacturer, Radnor has spent the last decade cultivating an international roster that spans talents from Toshio Tokunaga and Loïc Bard to local Brooklyn creators, all while fostering the development of singular, meticulously crafted design objects.