AvroKO Unveils Newest Design Gallery HOST on Howard

A scene unfolds within AvroKO’s newest venture, HOST on Howard, in a dimly lit corner of New York City’s SoHo where a service trolley catches the soft glow of a pendant light. Far more than a design showroom, HOST embodies the cadence of shared moments, with every artifact serving as a chapter in the larger narrative of collective experience. The space itself, with its rich moss and hunter green walls framed by grand arches, evokes the exhibition’s inaugural theme of “The Paradisa” – a contemporary interpretation of the Edenic garden.

“HOST is our celebration of hospitality as a ritual for both gathering and belonging,” says Kristina O’Neal, Founding Partner and Principal of AvroKO. “As part of our daily business we are constantly creating objects that bring people together and enhance our shared experiences – warm lighting that makes everyone at the table softly glow, height adjustable tables that work for cocktail or dining height depending on the time of day, or moveable screens that can be molded to illuminate a corner or better create privacy.”

The collection’s centerpiece, a series of five service trolleys displayed on jewel-toned platforms, represents a winding evolution in hospitality furniture. These pieces bridge the gap between functional service equipment and sculptural art objects, challenging traditional categories of design classification. These pieces embody a significant shift in contemporary design as service tools transcend their utilitarian origins to become objects of desire and contemplation.

A horseshoe-shaped bar serves as both showcase and functional gathering space. This is not just a display piece, but a working laboratory for the firm’s philosophy of hospitality, complete with top-of-the-line equipment and seating for ten. The bar embodies what Partner William Harris describes as their two-decade quest, “to be inventive in the creation of these tools for gathering and find new ways to make people feel comfortable, delighted, and considered.”

For more on HOST on Howard, visit hostonhoward.com, and for more on AvroKO, visit avroko.com.

Photography by Joe Kramm.