In an era marked by instability and division, how can we cultivate community and well-being for both body and mind through the lens of spatial design?
Join us for a conversation featuring Gabriella Malavé of Friends of the High Line (NYC), Myriam Zumbühl of LIFEGARDEN (Zurich), and Annabelle Schneider, the award-winning Swiss experience designer behind “Breathe with Me” – a captivating multi-sensory installation as part of NYCxDESIGN. Through this exchange, we aim to deepen our understanding of space, exploring how environments impact mental health and well-being, whether within urban landscapes, built environments or amidst natural settings.
Step into “Breathe with Me“, where the conversation will take place within a lounge celebrating Swiss culture, design, and craft, where tranquility meets playfulness, capturing Switzerland’s spirit of serenity. Through a blend of colors, fabrics, and soft touches, visitors find solace and connection, embracing the beauty of the present moment. Soft furnishings and breathable textiles synchronized with contemplative sounds composed by musician Luc Oggier are carefully crafted to positively impact body and mind, creating an oasis in the bustling heart of Manhattan.
“Breathe with Me”, is presented by the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York on the occasion of NYCxDESIGN, a festival connecting and amplifying the broad coalition of design that fuels New York City and enriches the world.
Program
- 6:00pm – Doors open
- 6:30pm – Start of conversation – Reception to follow
iCal / Outlook
Event start time
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New York
6:00PM -
Switzerland
12:00AM
Speakers
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Bio
Gabriella Malavé
Friends of the High LineGabriella Malavé (she/her/ella) is a strategist, educator, social practitioner and bridge builder whose work focuses on the intersection of community and public engagement, culture and place, with an emphasis on nature and access. She currently serves as the Programs Manager, Administration & Special Projects at the High Line, supporting the Programs Division’s strategic planning, producing and managing community based public programs, and coordinating the flow between programs, staff, partners, and the park. Previously, she completed the Urban Design Forums: New Loops Fellowship, designed equity strategies and educational learning programs in an independent school, then took a turn into policy and public affairs as a Coro Fellow in Public Affairs. As part of her passion and responsibility, Gabby is committed to a global future that is just, resilient, and joyous.
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Bio
Myriam Zumbühl
LIFEGARDENMyriam Zumbühl is a writer and social impact producer from Switzerland. She has worked for Swiss Radio and Television (SRF) in a wide variety of roles for over 20 years, from presenter to arts and culture editor to TV producer. Here she discovered her passion for turning ideas into inspiring concepts to foster conversation and community. One such project is her documentary film Master of Cheese, which tells the inspiring story of cheesemaker Willi Schmid who just by the taste of the milk knows what the cow ate. It is a story about resilience, and a vital blueprint for sustainable food production, better living and a healthier planet. The need to contribute to social change runs like a thread through her life. It led her to found LIFEGARDEN, a Swiss NGO and citizen science project pioneering innovative public gardens to foster resilience and positive mental health in society. Myriam is a columnist for NZZ am Sonntag and contributes regularly to Konfekt, Monocle Magazine, and Monocle Radio.
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Bio
Annabelle Schneider
"Breathe with Me"Annabelle Schneider is an award-winning artist and designer hailing from Switzerland and based in New York, pioneering innovative spatial concepts that bridge the gap between physical and virtual realms. With a rich background in branding, spatial installations, and design management, her eponymous studio explores the fusion of technology and tactile elements to redefine comfort, belonging, and well-being in spaces. Her projects, including collaborations with Vitra, Laufen, Snarkitecture, and Eyesight Group, challenge traditional notions of space and experience by seamlessly integrating technology from Virtual Reality (VR) to Augmented Reality (AR), projection mappings, or sonic stimuli, blended with fabrics and soft shapes of physical objects that engage the sense of touch. Annabelle brings her innovative perspective to design studios at Parsons where she currently teaches.
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Moderator
Anne-Rachel Schiffmann
SnøhettaAnne-Rachel Schiffmann is a Director and Architect based out of Snøhetta’s New York office where she leads the studio’s interior architecture efforts. Her expertise has anchored a wide range of projects including the award-winning interior design of Calgary’s Central Library, the Student Learning Center at Ryerson University in Toronto, the SFMOMA Expansion in San Francisco, the Stillspotting installation for the Guggenheim Museum in New York as well as the French Laundry Kitchen Expansion for chef Thomas Keller in Yountville, California. She is currently working on a pop-up restaurant in Tokyo, Japan – a collaboration between En One Tokyo and Ghetto Gastro.
Anne has been a guest critic at Columbia GSAPP, Parsons New School, Pratt Institute, FIT and City College of New York among others. She has participated in and lectured at the Parsons School of Design in their Defining a Collaborative Experience symposium, an interactive event on the topics of experience in the Third Industrial Revolution, post-consumerism, and the post-digital. She has also lectured at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa on the topic of Nordic Architecture and Design.
Partners
“Breathe with Me” is organized by the Consulate General of Switzerland in New York in partnership with Swissnex, LAUFEN, Swiss Business Hub USA, SWISS, Vontobel, UBS, MoFi Distribution, Emmi, and Lindt.