French Designer Hugo Toro Selected for Historic Remodel Project at the Payne Whitney Mansion, Villa Albertine’s Gilded Age NYC Headquarters
Hugo Toro
By Villa Albertine
The winning proposal harmonizes the historic character of the Helen Hay Whitney studio with the best of contemporary French design, creating a unique space for international cultural exchange and collaboration
New York and Paris, November 9, 2022 — French designer Hugo Toro has been selected to remodel the Helen Hay Whitney studio, a crown jewel of the landmarked Payne Whitney Mansion. A Gilded Age architectural masterpiece built by Stanford White in 1902–1906, the building was acquired by France in the 1950s, and now serves as the NYC headquarters of Villa Albertine.
As part of their ongoing collaboration, Villa Albertine and the Mobilier National (one of the foremost French cultural institutions, in charge of furnishing the official spaces of the French Republic, ensuring the conservation of its historic collection of decorative art, and preserving the country’s history of design and fabrication through active workshops which furnishes the official spaces of the French Republic, preserves historic design objects, and preserves the country’s history of design and fabrication), launched a competitive call for proposals that attracted many of France’s top designers. Hugo Toro’s work will begin in spring 2023, following the restoration of the historical decoration that is currently underway, carried out by Cinzia Pasquali and Atelier Arcanes.
A spotlight on French decorative arts in New York City
French designers of furniture and fine decor have long been called upon to decorate the interiors of France’s most prestigious spaces around the world. In keeping with this tradition, Villa Albertine and the Mobilier National launched a call for proposals in June 2022, inviting designers to propose a new vision for furnishing and decorating this iconic studio in Villa Albertine’s headquarters, which when completed will serve as a hub and meeting space for international creatives.
After an initial round of proposals in early September, five applications were selected. The finalists were then hosted for a tour of the Studio September 25–26, to fine-tune their proposal and submit a final draft.
Hugo Toro
Following the second round of evaluations on November 7, Hugo Toro was selected to undertake this prestigious project.
Born in 1989, Hugo Toro is an architect and interior designer from the east of France, with dual Mexican and French nationality. He holds masters degrees in architecture from both Los Angeles and Vienna, as well as a degree in interior design from Penninghen school in Paris, where he graduated at the top of his class.
What stood out to the selection jury was both the coherence of Hugo Toro’s project in the context of the space, and his poetic aesthetic originality. The proposed color palette and furniture selection are well aligned with the broader architectural project of Villa Albertine’s New York headquarters. Hugo Toro’s creativity will enable the Helen Hay Whitney Studio to retain its historic character while assuming a strong modern identity.
The depth and diversity of savoir-faire that Hugo Toro mobilizes in this project align perfectly with the ambitious goals for French creation that Villa Albertine and the Mobilier National set out in this call for proposals.
Alexandre Onimus
“Villa Albertine is incredibly fortunate to be headquartered in the Payne Whitney Mansion, which houses a number of architectural treasures. One of its best kept secrets is the top-floor studio, with a 180° view of the Met, Central Park, and the Manhattan skyline,” said Gaëtan Bruel, Director of Villa Albertine. “Cinzia Pasquali’s restoration, combined with Hugo Toro’s visionary interior design, will breathe new life into an outstanding heritage site. Once complete this space will be a perfect setting to highlight modern French decorative arts within a major trend-setting city, and we are proud to uphold our mission of celebrating contemporary creation and supporting creators in the process.”
The jury
Presided over by Gaëtan Bruel, Director of Villa Albertine, and Hervé Lemoine, President of Mobilier National, the selection jury included representatives from Villa Albertine, the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, Mobilier National, and qualified experts who actively support contemporary French design. They are: François Bridey, Head of the Museums and Heritage Department at Villa Albertine; Isis-Colombe Combréas, founder of Milk Décoration and Milk magazines; Jehanne Lazaj, Head of Heritage and Refurbishing Department at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs; Lucile Montagne, Collection Inspector at Mobilier National; Pascale Mussard, President of Villa Noailles; Cécile Roudier, Interior Designer at the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs; and Loïc Turpin, Development and Communications Director at Mobilier National.
This project is made possible thanks to the expertise of the Mobilier National and the financial support of the Florence Gould Foundation.
McKim, Mead & White, courtesy of the Museum of the City of New York
Payne Whitney Mansion
In partnership with
Manufactures nationales – Sèvres & Mobilier national
Resulting from the merger between the Mobilier national and the Cité de la Céramique – Sèvres & Limoges, the National Manufactures were established on January 1, 2025, to promote the excellence of French craftsmanship and highlight the richness of both tangible and intangible heritage through more than 53 artistic crafts practiced within its manufactures and workshops.
Unique worldwide, this new public entity dedicated to decorative arts, crafts, and design combines heritage and creation to play a central role in implementing the national strategy in support of artistic crafts.
Its mission is structured around six key priorities: education and training; research; creation; support for the fragile ecosystem of artistic crafts; heritage promotion; and the international outreach of craftsmanship.
As the heir to four centuries of history, it comprises two museums (the National Museum of Ceramics in Sèvres and the Adrien Dubouché National Museum in Limoges), nine manufactures and creative workshops (including the Sèvres National Manufactory, the Gobelins Tapestry Manufactory, the Beauvais Tapestry Manufactory, the Savonnerie Carpet Manufactory, the lace workshops of Alençon and Le Puy-en-Velay, and the Research and Creation Workshop for contemporary furniture), seven restoration workshops, and a furnishing commission.
Firmly rooted in local territories, this public institution operates across eight departments: in Paris, Hauts-de-Seine (Sèvres), Hérault (Lodève), Creuse (Aubusson), Orne (Alençon), Haute-Loire (Le Puy-en-Velay), Haute-Vienne (Limoges), and Oise (Beauvais).