The Vilcek Foundation has been honored with a 2021 AIA Interior Architecture Award. Bestowed by the American Institute of Architects (AIA), the award recognizes the design of the Vilcek Foundation’s headquarters at 21 East 70th Street, New York. The AIA’s 2021 Interior Architecture program “celebrates the most innovative and spectacular interior spaces. Impactful building interiors make their mark on the cities, places, and spaces where we live and work.”

The foundation’s design was developed by Architecture Research Office (ARO) and Principal Architect Adam Yarinsky, and was completed in the fall of 2018. “This award requires excellence with respect to multiple criteria including aesthetics, function, promoting well-being, and environmental sustainability,” Adam says. “We are gratified that our design helps advance the mission of the Vilcek Foundation, which has never been more relevant and vital. It’s a real honor for ARO that this project received the highest recognition from our peers.”

“One of the most unique aspects of the project is that the existing townhouse, which is a designated landmark, is a composite of its original 1919 façade and subsequent mid-century renovations that extended the back of the building,” says Adam. “Our design includes both an extensive restoration and a completely new curtain wall that engage the distinct qualities of both architectures to create a more elegant, accessible entry, bring greater daylight into the interiors, and improve energy performance.”

Writes AIA, “The careful attention to finish and detail found in this project is reflective of the foundation’s commitment to quality for both staff and visitors. The renovated and restored building represents its new identity and reinvigorated public programming, which is free and open for all to experience.”

Vilcek Foundation President Rick Kinsel says, “It is very satisfying to see this project brought to fruition, and meeting the high caliber of standards, materials and design envisioned by ARO and Adam Yarinsky. Quality architecture does not happen without an epic effort—it must be forced into existence. The design of the Vilcek Foundation headquarters aligns with the integrity of our founders, the endurance of our mission, and our exemplary staff.”