Background
Gabellini was born in 1958 near Allentown, Pennsylvania, and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design.
Gabellini was born in 1958 near Allentown, Pennsylvania, and earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts and Bachelor of Architecture degrees from the Rhode Island School of Design.
He also studied at the Architectural Association in London and conducted architectural research in Rome.
lieutenant was at the Architectural Association where Gabellini was mentored by influential architects such as Rem Koolhas, Elia Zenghelis, Nigel Coates, Bernard Tschumi, Dalibor Vesely and Zaha Hadid. After graduation, he worked for six years with prominent architecture firm Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates in New New York During this time, he also collaborated on residential and fashion related projects with interior designer Jay Smith, before founding the architecture and interior design firm Gabellini Associates in New York in 1991.
The name was later changed to Gabellini Sheppard Associates, after Sheppard and Garbowit became full partners in the practice.
The firm’s earliest commissions, for fashion designer Jil Sander, led to a 14-year collaboration spanning over 80 retail spaces worldwide with the brand. Gabellini Sheppard Associates" completed the renovation of Top of the Rock at Rockefeller Center in 2006, completely revamping the six level, 55,000 square-foot project to include new public spaces as well as restoration of the historic observation decks.
In subsequent years, the firm continues to develop retail, public and exhibition projects while expanding their practice into hospitality and residential design (single and multi family). The firm was appointed by Marriott and hotelier Ian Schrager to design the European debut of the EDITION hotel brand, EDITION ISTANBUL. In March 2014, real estate development firm Sumaida + Khurana announced the collaboration between Tadao Ando and Gabellini Sheppard Associates on Tadao Ando’s first residential project in New York City. In fall of 2014, the firm’s redesign of the iconic Rainbow Room at Rockefeller Center will open to the public.