In celebration of NYCxDesign, join Little Wing Lee and architect Frida Escobedo in conversation about their work and the multifaceted relationship between interior designers and architects.

Over five years ago, 2025 National Design Award winner in Interior Design Little Wing Lee began work on the design for the interiors of Ray Harlem, a new building designed by architect Frida Escobedo in partnership with Handel Architects in Harlem, New York. The residential portion of the building will open its doors in April 2025. The building will also house the National Black Theater, due to open in two years.

Hear more about how Lee and Escobedo continue to think on micro and macro scales together through a long-term design process. Gain insight into their respective design approaches on projects including museums, hotels, and products.

SPEAKERS

Frida Escobedo founded her eponymous studio in Mexico City in 2006, initially gaining recognition through a series of competition-winning projects. Since 2018, her work has reached a global audience, highlighted by her appointment to design the prestigious Serpentine Pavilion in London’s Kensington Gardens, making her the youngest architect to date to undertake the project. In 2022, Escobedo was selected to design the new Modern & Contemporary Wing for The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, becoming both the youngest and the first woman to design a building for the institution. Recently, her studio has been chosen as an associate designer alongside Moreau Kusunoki to lead the Centre Pompidou 2030 renovation.

Little Wing Lee is an interior designer known for her sharp eye for color, texture, and materiality, along with her thoughtful and narrative-driven approach to design. In 2019, she started Studio & Projects, whose work spans cultural institutions, commercial environments, public and private hospitality spaces, intimate residences, and products. Driven by human experience, compelling narratives, and the profound power of beauty, Studio & Projects explores design as a holistic exercise by drawing upon the expertise of a diverse range of collaborators. Lee also founded Black Folks in Design, a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to bring awareness to and promote the cultural contributions, excellence, and importance of Black designers.

AccessibiliTy & What to Expect

Format: The program will begin with a brief welcome, then the speakers will engage in a moderated conversation. It will end with an optional Q&A with the audience. 
About the space: This program will take place in Cooper Hewitt’s Lecture Room on the ground floor of the museum. It is fully wheelchair accessible. Theater-style seating is available. There is an accessible restroom on the same floor. Read more about  accessibility at Cooper Hewitt.
Accommodations: The program will have live CART captioning. If we can provide additional services to support your participation, email us at CHEducation@si.edu or let us know when you register. Please make your request as far in advance as possible—preferably at least ten days before the program date.
Recording: The program will be recorded and posted on Cooper Hewitt’s YouTube channel within two weeks.

Support

The National Design Awards are made possible by:
Design Partners
Shelby & Frederick Gans
Jon Iwata
Lisa Roberts & David Seltzer

Design Sponsors
Apple Inc.
Chris & Irma Fralic
Alexandra & Paul Herzan
Helen and Edward Hintz
IBM Corporation

Design Friends
ANT/DOTE
Irene Au & Bradley Horowitz
Jake Barton
Amita & Purnendu Chatterjee
Cristina Grajales Gallery
Al Eiber
The Garden Conservancy
Agnes Gund
Jessica Healy, Seven Willow Collaborative
Randy & Taylor Hunt
Lemberg Foundation
Michael Maltzan & Amy Murphy
Henry R. Muñoz III & Kyle Ferari-Muñoz
Pentagram
Theo Richardson, RBW.com
Virginia San Fratello
Savannah College of Art and Design
Kimberly Schuessler
Lauren Seikaly & Michael Huber
Enid Sherman in honor of Jules Sherman
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Margaret Gould Stewart