Thierry Despont, the accomplished French architect and designer, passed away on August 13 at his home in Southampton, N.Y. Known for his sophisticated touch and respect for history, Despont worked on prestigious projects such as the restoration of iconic landmarks like the Statue of Liberty, the Woolworth Building, and the Ritz Paris. He also designed lavish homes for industry giants like Bill Gates and Calvin Klein. Despont, an officer of the Legion of Honor and a member of the Architectural Digest AD100 2023 Hall of Fame, had a profound impact on the global architecture and design community.
Despont’s grand projects showcased his attention to detail and his dedication to creating a unique experience for each client. He didn’t simply focus on opulence, but aimed to craft a microcosm, or even a macrocosm, where every aspect of the space, from the master plan to the smallest details, contributed to a cohesive whole. His notable works include restoring historic sites like the Vendôme Column in Paris and transforming buildings like the Battery Maritime Building into the luxurious private club Casa Cipriani.
Despont’s work extended beyond grand projects for the wealthy elite. He designed homes for his friends, including Millard S. Drexler, former CEO of the Gap and J.Crew, and his wife Peggy. Despont’s designs honored the unique history and character of each property. For instance, he installed green and yellow glass windows in their vineyard estate in St. Helena, California, to highlight the beautiful landscape. In Montauk, he created a rustic fishing-village atmosphere for their oceanfront compound, which had previously belonged to Andy Warhol.
Despont’s interior style was a meticulously curated mix of timeless elegance and carefully edited clutter. His own TriBeCa townhouse exemplified his taste, featuring plaid-print walls in the billiard room and custom alpaca sofas with Art Deco curves. Despite his success, Despont remained humble and didn’t appreciate being labeled as a “society decorator.” He saw himself as an artist, sculptor, and watercolorist, and his charming personality and impeccable taste made him highly regarded in New York society.
Born in Limoges, France, in 1948, Despont developed an appreciation for aesthetics through his architect father and his memories of his grandfather’s farmhouse. These memories shaped his lifelong passion for creating dream houses that reflected the broken pieces of his own internal vision. Despont studied architecture at the École Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris and earned a master’s degree in urban planning from Harvard University. In 1980, he established his own architecture firm in New York City.
Despont’s career took off when he became the associate architect on the centennial restoration of the Statue of Liberty, a project that taught him the importance of understanding a structure’s history before making changes. He emphasized the need to learn from the past in order to practice architecture effectively. Despont’s legacy continues through his wife, Barbara von Bismarck, his sisters, and his children and stepchildren.
Like the magnificent homes and hotels he created, Despont aimed for his impact to endure. He admired Nicolas Fouquet, a finance minister for King Louis XIV, who constructed the grand Château de Vaux-le-Vicomte near Paris. Despite Fouquet’s eventual imprisonment, Despont believed that he had achieved immortality through his architectural achievements. Despont’s own mark on the architectural world will undoubtedly last for generations to come.
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