Who

Selldorf is a minimalism-inclined architect best known for designing Ronald Lauder's Upper East Side Teutonic art palace, the Neue Gallerie.

Backstory

The daughter of an architect, German-born Selldorf moved to the U.S. to study at Pratt and later earned her master's at Syracuse. She started her career at Richard Gluckman's art gallery-oriented architecture firm Gluckman Mayner, before going solo in 1993 with Selldorf Architects. A decade later, she'd made a name for herself thanks to her work transforming a 1914 beaux arts building on Fifth Avenue owned by Ron Lauder into Neue Gallerie, which displays Lauder's collection of German and Austrian art. Now one of New York's most sought-after architects, Selldorf has a long list of big-ticket commercial, retail, and condo projects to her name.

Of note

"You know you've reached new heights as an architect when your face is plastered across a 77-foot billboard, alongside that of Philip Johnson," wrote Interior Design magazine in 2005. The ad was for the 12-story Urban Glass House—modeled after Johnson's iconic original in New Canaan—and although Selldorf was originally tapped to design the interiors, she took charge of the exteriors as well following Johnson's death in 2005. It's only one of several recent high-profile projects for Selldorf. Also in 2005, she made a splash with her design of Abercrombie and Fitch's flagship store on Fifth Avenue, which features an LED-lit staircase and a four-story mural of mostly-naked men. (A&F must have been pleased: They've hired her to design their flagship store in London as well). These days, Selldorf is putting the finishing touches to the 11-story condo 520 West Chelsea. She's also designing a high-end building on 24th Street that boasts one luxury never before offered to New Yorkers: Each condo in the high-rise comes with its very own garage attached, and a special elevator will whisk tenants' cars up to their floors.

On the side

In 2005, Selldorf moved into decor, unveiling a line of furniture and lighting called Vica. The collection includes a number of re-editions of pieces originally designed by her father, and the custom lighting fixtures she used at Neue Gallerie.

Namedrop

Selldorf's ties to the art community run deep. Over the years, she's been hired to design residences or gallery/studio spaces for Jeff Koons, David Salle, Eric Fischl, Barbara Gladstone, David Zwirner, Michael Werner, and billionaire art collector Francois Pinault, among others.

Habitat

Selldorf lives on lower Fifth Avenue in an apartment filled with Ming dynasty furniture. Adam Tihany, Anthony Shorris, literary agent Bill Clegg, Nicole Miller CEO Bud Konheim, and Blythe Danner live in the same building.