French Designers Humbert & Poyet Further Elevate a 69th-Floor Model Residence in 53 West 53
by David Hay
September 2026
Photography by William Jess Laird
Much has been written about 53 West 53, the striking supertall designed by architect Jean Nouvel and interior designer Thierry Despont and located alongside the Museum of Modern Art in Midtown Manhattan. A singular work of art in its own right, the residential tower recently unveiled a new 69th-floor model residence with decidedly art-forward interior design by the celebrated team Humbert & Poyet. Not only is it opulent and thus addresses the high expectations of discerning buyers, but it also envisions a way of living that is as surprising as it is sophisticated. Its lush and deeply layered interior does not attempt to compete with Nouvel’s sleek, demonstrably geometric design, instead bringing a sense of life well-lived to this brightly lit, almost ethereal skybox.
For Emil Humbert and Christophe Poyet, it was a welcome challenge.
“We are more used to working in historical buildings in Paris, or maybe 1950s or 1970s buildings in Monaco, than spaces like this,” said Humbert, who cofounded the Monaco-based design atelier in 2008. “Nouvel’s extreme architecture, in terms of the way it opens to the world in such an all-encompassing way, is something we never really experienced, so we were very excited.”
Given the sheer boldness and modernity of the building’s architecture, he added, “the challenge was unique: how to create special, individual ‘living zones’ in this glass box.”
To do that, he and Poyet used a combination of furniture, art and very sophisticated, often unusual design objects to create what they call “layers,” which infuse the extraordinary space with a sense of intimacy and personal feeling, yet without diminishing its striking relationship with the skyline views that vital to the 53 West 53 experience.
“We started by adding a lot of screens and creating highly unusual combinations of fine furniture, lighting and art,” Humbert added. “That, plus creating these different focal points inside the apartment, was really key to establishing the kind of intimacy we thought was needed.”
By establishing these different focal points in the living room, the dining room, the library and other rooms, he continued, “each gained its own its own center of gravity.”
The two created custom pieces for each space and finely calibrated the dimensions of the furniture they selected.
“Everything is almost at the same height in terms of backrests, chairs, tables,” Humbert said. “Nothing is too high or out of balance.”
The emphasis on curves — conspicuously in the living room’s two large, sweeping sofas — contrasts playfully with the triangular cuts of the tower’s exterior beams. Their lush covering further introduces a softness.
The final layer — which includes a painting by Jasper Johns — imparts unmistakable uniqueness to each room and how it interacts with the surrounding cityscape.
“Sometimes a sculpture or a pedestal placed in front of the vast window becomes almost like a point of punctuation between the interior and the city,” Humbert noted.
Going into the project, the duo decided the model apartment needed an owner, if only an imaginary one.
“We envisioned a very international person who is a connoisseur, a collector,” said Humbert, noting that it helped the partners to create a mix of vintage and contemporary with custom pieces and antiques. “What you feel through these pieces is the craft, the vibrancy, the contrast. None of them are minimalist. They all work together to give the impression that the owner has collected all these pieces over time, so there’s a sense of history and a feeling for the examined life.”
Humbert and Poyet’s admiration for Nouvel long precedes their involvement in 53 West 53 and showing him due respect drove many of their design decisions. For instance, the designers took inspiration from the cross-hatched beams that stretch diagonally across many of the large windows.
“This is a very strong element of the building, so we used it,” added Humbert. “In some bedrooms, we used the section underneath to create a kind of intimate moment. But the section above? We highlighted it. In one instance, I designed a special lamp, which is almost like a sculpture, to alter the impression. We were more like, ‘Let's play with it and use it,’ instead of trying to hide it. The approach was to work with it and embrace it, of course.”
Notably, the art is not treated as a mere styling gesture, but as a component of the narrative. In addition to Johns, other artists behind the selection of works include Raven Halfmoon and Magdalena Shummer-Fangor. The living room sofa and dining table were made expressly for the project with Philippe Hurel, and all the made-to-measure rugs conceived exclusively with Galerie Diurne’s Studio Diurne.
The custom decorative finishes across the entrance, living spaces and kitchen were created by Atelier de la Torre using a scraped painting technique, Humbert said, giving the surfaces “the depth of enameled ceramic: abstract and sensorial.”
A fitting description for the richly immersive and intellectually nuanced experience that is already resonating with prospective buyers, according to Leslie Wilson, Senior Executive Vice President and Managing Director for Douglas Elliman Development Marketing, which handles exclusive marketing and sales for 53 West 53.
“It was a pleasure working closely with Christophe and Emil to bring Residence 69 to life, and the response from buyers has been very positive,” said Wilson. "The global lens brought to this residence is very much in line with how our buyers experience and appreciate design. The custom, collectible approach to the interiors offers something different from traditional model residences, while refocusing attention on the caliber of design that defines 53 West 53, from Jean Nouvel’s architecture to Thierry Despont’s interiors."
David Hay is a well-known architectural writer and playwright. His stories have been featured in The New York Times, Dwell and New York.
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