Holloway Li branches out to NYC with shape-shifting creative club

Perched on the sixth floor of Manhattan’s Park Terrace Hotel, Branch is a private members’ club offering sweeping views of Bryant Park and the New York Public Library. This exclusive space marks the American design debut of London-based studio Holloway Li, who have crafted an intimate yet dynamic environment tailored for New York’s community of creatives and young professionals.

An out and out shapeshifter, Holloway Li has the Branch club transitioning as smoothly from workspace to cocktail bar as the sky does from day to night. It is an atmosphere attuned to the rhythms of its members, offering both productivity and play in equal measure

Image credit: PION Studio

Following successful collaborations with the Club Quarters group in London – including the Gracechurch Street Hotel and St Pauls property – Holloway Li was tasked with reimagining Branch’s previously understated interiors. The response? A warm and vibrant palette infused with a distinctly British sensibility.

At its most elemental, the design is a carefully orchestrated arrangement of seating clusters that animate an open space. The interior leans into the formal language of David Chipperfield‘s architectural columns to mould an intimate environment that balances work and socialising – to foster the client’s desire to initiate spontaneous encounters of the creative kind.

But curating creative encounters was a talent of the space long before its first members stepped through the door. Shortly after securing the project, Holloway Li Creative Director, Alex Holloway, found himself at The Aram Gallery in Covent Garden; an ‘incubator’ for experimental and emerging design, it was amid the gallery’s explorations of design that Alex found his (and Branch’s) perfect furnishing match.

Working closely with Aram, the studio struck a balance between heritage and modernity, and American and European; European icons such as Eileen Gray’s Bibendum Chair, Zanotta’s William Sofa, and Acerbis’ Sheraton Sideboard bring timeless sophistication. American design, however, anchors the space with intent.

“We chose to introduce aged brass table lights by New York-based designer Thomas O’Brien to cast a warm, intimate glow throughout the space – an intentional homage to the timeless allure of classic library reading lamps,” said project designer Grey Grierson.

With the fluted timber detailing along the Holloway Li-designed banquettes, subtly recalling the rhythmic spines of stacked books, and shelving cloaked in green velvet, the members’ club evokes the hushed opulence of a well-loved reading room.

Image credit: PION Studio

Designed as a serene retreat from the city’s pulse, Branch embraces the verdant charm of Bryant Park. Holloway Li invites the outdoors in with custom planters that echo the park’s botanical lushness, while back-to-back seating booths upholstered in soft green velvet and bouclé provide relaxed pockets for conversation and contemplation.

The design reflects a broader shift in hospitality: toward hybrid, adaptive spaces that morph with the needs of their users. By day, Branch offers a refined, grounded environment for focused work. As evening approaches, a subtle transformation takes place – the glow deepens, the bar draws guests in, and a curated cocktail programme lends the space a sense of occasion.

To complement the existing architectural elements – most notably the terrazzo-clad columns by David Chipperfield, which reference the stone façades of neighbouring buildings – Holloway Li introduced a new bar clad in rich green terrazzo, tying the material palette back to the park’s organic hues.

A seamless fusion of heritage and innovation, Holloway Li’s transformed Branch now offers New York’s creatives a space that evolves with them, from focused mornings to inspired evenings – sign me up!

Main image credit: PION Studio