Jean-Gabriel Neukomm

Jean-Gabriel Neukomm, AIA, is the founding principal of JG Neukomm Architecture, a practice recognised for its refined approach to buildings, interiors and objects. While he is widely celebrated for more than 25 years of architectural work across luxury residential, institutional, hospitality and retail projects, Neukomm has also developed a quietly powerful body of collectible design. His furniture and lighting pieces, including the Abditio Cabinet and the Lucens Chandelier, reveal a deep fascination with material expression, sculptural form and the emotional resonance of crafted objects. This parallel practice brings his architectural sensibility into intimate scale, exploring metals, cast surfaces and translucent elements with the same precision and clarity that define his built work.

A defining work in this design practice is the Nephelepsis Chandelier, an iconic piece constructed from sheets of natural mica. Its form is deceptively simple: a monumental, umbrella-like disc that hovers between materiality and disappearance. The mica’s unique qualities make the chandelier both translucent and highly reflective, creating an ethereal presence that shifts with the light. It anchors a space while seeming to dissolve within it, a beguiling tension that has made the piece highly collected and emblematic of Neukomm’s ability to turn elemental materials into quiet, luminous statements.

His architectural portfolio includes private collaborations with Calvin Klein and Ian Schrager, as well as the design of The Core Club in midtown Manhattan. He is highly regarded for his expertise in New York townhouse living, creating homes that are rigorously tailored to contemporary luxury. Notable commissions include a federal-style West Village residence for Yana Peel, recently featured in Architectural Digest, and a series of creative projects with Fabien Baron. Neukomm’s long-standing relationship with Marian Goodman Gallery, for whom he has served as architect for more than 15 years, reflects his deep engagement with the world of art and culture.

Beyond private residences, Neukomm has contributed to significant multi-residential and urban development projects in Miami, Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York, working with leading developers such as Gotham Organization, Greystar, JBG Smith, Rockrose, CIM, F&T Group, Greenland USA, Blackstone and Dermot. His portfolio includes a luxury hotel in Lower Manhattan, a boutique gallery tower in the West Village and a series of global retail environments for Calvin Klein Collection, Tiffany & Co., Pringle of Scotland and Dyson. Known for his sensitivity to context, he frequently works within historic buildings, bringing a refined contemporary language to complex, large-scale renovations such as the revitalisation of a landmark Art Deco structure in New York’s Financial District.

Neukomm also maintains deep ties to cultural and civic organisations. He serves on the board of the Design Trust for Public Space and is a Council Member for the Dia Foundation for the Arts. He is an active supporter of Open House New York, a member of the AIA New York Interiors Committee and an early advocate for the High Line. He also sponsors the Haverford Center for Humanities Summer Humanities Fellowship, reflecting his long-standing interest in interdisciplinary thinking. His photography, a core part of his design process, has been exhibited and published, and he continues to contribute to the field through lectures, teaching and public dialogue.

Neukomm received his M.Arch. from Princeton University and his B.A. in philosophy from Haverford College, grounding his practice in both intellectual rigour and a belief in the lasting value of thoughtful, human-centred design.