We bring with us Korn Design’s incredible team of dynamic, passionate designers and brand strategists. Together we will continue, with dedication, to serve and collaborate with you, our highly-valued clients and colleagues.

We started Korn Design more than 25 years ago, devoted to our team, our clients and a bold authentic approach to building fearless brands that catalyze change through human-centered design. We are proud of what we have accomplished, inspired by the creative territories we have explored and most importantly very grateful for your trust and the opportunity to create such incredible work with all of you.

Moving forward, you can count on the same personal attention and working relationships that you’ve had with us and our team over the years, now with the added benefit of Gensler’s incredible global platform behind us. We will continue to work to ensure your needs are met and expectations exceeded, what you’ve always come to expect from us.

As you might imagine, a decision of this magnitude was not made lightly. We have had a long history of collaboration and friendship with Gensler over the years. Through the lens of this exciting new possibility we began to see many synergies that run deep between us making this integration all the better.

In getting to know Gensler both as an organization and as individuals, first and foremost we share a culture that puts people first, places a premium on client service, focuses on building meaningful relationships, serving community and is driven by innovation not ego.

Each of its 46 offices are made up of smaller, distinctive “studios” with deep expertise in a variety of focused practice areas that connect across the firm, sharing knowledge and resources while maintaining a more intimate way to serve clients and an appropriate scale for each project team to foster true collaboration. In meeting global Gensler leadership, we grew a much deeper appreciation for their dedication, to create positive enduring change through thoughtful design, social innovation and civic engagement.

Gensler’s global reach and multi-disciplinary platform will allow us to take our unique approach to developing meaningful brands and experiences into new corners of the world, to serve our clients more holistically, and to continue to collaborate with all of you, our long-term creative partners and colleagues, in new ways.

As of today, you can find us in Gensler’s Boston office at One Beacon Street.

We look forward to many more years of charting into new territories with you and making the world more beautiful while we’re at it!

All and only the best,

Denise Korn, Creative Director        Javier Cortés, Studio Director

About Gensler

Gensler is a global architecture, design, and planning firm with 46 locations and more than 5,500 professionals networked across Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, and the Americas. Founded in 1965, the firm serves more than 3,500 active clients in virtually every industry. Gensler designers strive to make the places people live, work, and play more inspiring, more resilient, and more impactful. For more information, visit www.gensler.com.

Just over 15 years ago, I founded Youth Design with a mission to provide urban creative youth in Boston with awareness, exposure and training opportunities in design, enabling them to envision and pursue a career pathway that would feed their passion for creativity.

We have witnessed the magic that happens when young people – working with hundreds of Youth Designers who have benefited from our “platform for change” and world-class programming – discover the possibilities and realize their limitless potential to pursue a professional creative life in the field of design and beyond!

With tremendous gratitude, a heavy heart, and sincere pride, I want to share with you that we made the bittersweet decision to sunset the Youth Design organization at the end of 2017. This has been quite a journey.

We are proud of the strides we have made, collectively, in bringing awareness to the need for greater diversity in design and the impact we’ve had in supporting 700+ Youth Designers find achievable pathways to careers in design. This was no small feat.

We have made a difference together and I hope that the Youth Design mission and legacy will continue to thrive in your heart and under your leadership . . . as there is still much work to be done.

For all of this – I and all of the Youth Designers thank you.

It goes without saying that we have seen it all!

Partners for so long in this creative journey, together we have forged countless meaningful relationships, many now decades-long, with our beloved KORNStars, clients, colleagues and the amazing people we collaborate with.

Yin and Yang at Korn = Denise + Javier, we are grateful for our partnership and lucky to love what we do every day and love who we get to do it with!

We love an unusual challenge, and Host Hotels & Resorts’ project in Center City Philadelphia came with just that: a plan to convert the city’s beloved Four Seasons to their first independent property. Our research led us to understand that while Philadelphia has long been magnetic for its historic charisma and brotherly charm, its finely-nuanced urban texture is what draws and retains people daily. Meaning, it would not be enough to just open a great new hotel, this would need to be an authentic Philadelphia experience – of, by, and for the people of Philadelphia.

Korn captured that prized Philly spirit in every aspect of our work, starting with a name that conveyed the hotel’s noble character: the property’s namesake is James Logan, a famed Philadelphia statesman. Working in parallel with the talented and passionate Andrea Dawson of Dawson Design Associates, Korn’s commanding positioning as “Philadelphia’s Hotel,” invited an experience that was a lively mix of tradition and modernity. The Logan came forward to artfully embody the independent spirit of Philadelphia in a holistic brand ecosystem that blends classic and historic elements with modern influences, as sophisticated and stylish as Philadelphia itself.

Among the hotel’s most notable touches is a robust attention to art, spurred by the inspired art-loving management team and project partner, Sage Hospitality. Having worked with Sage on multiple projects over the years, we knew that like us, they knew the right dramaturgy would require thoughtful art selections that told the story behind the space. Enter Allison Barry of Kevin Barry Fine Art, and a masterful program befitting the Logan’s rich brand backstory.

Completed in 2016, and completely kicking it in 2018, the Logan is a success story we never get tired of sharing.

View Project >

We have been excited to share 25 pivotal projects, partnerships and creative moments with you over the past six months. Subscribe to our Newsletter to get monthly updates of our new and upcoming projects. Follow us on Instagram to see more behind the scenes at Korn!

Though proximate to Vancouver, Surrey BC is far from a suburb. Rather, it’s a vibrant connected crossroads of business and culture – and well on its way to becoming British Columbia’s next great city. Rising in a central site fronting the new Civic Plaza, the Civic Hotel set its sights on anchoring and defining this ascending downtown core with a visionary welcoming social and business hub. So with a SkyTrain pass in hand and vibrant planned urban center before us, we set out to capture the abundant opportunity present here in a brand that confidently leaned in.

Struck by its imposing presence – rising 24 stories with expansive sight lines directly onto an interconnected series of public plazas – Korn issued a bold invitation with the brand, showcasing the modern connectivity of the place, while holding true to its rich British Columbia roots. With its very public profile and energetic ethos, Korn dialed into the hotel as the social hub of this walkable community, favoring a commanding logo, pops of color, and key touchpoints to signal its vibrant central role.

With deep roots in the neighborhood, and a commitment to community design, client Century Group rallied behind the brand injecting local spirited local flavor into everything from F+B to art installations. In so doing, they not only built Surrey’s first world-class boutique hotel, they also created with Korn, a truly stunning brand that underscores the value of its new City Centre.

View Project >

We have been excited to share 25 pivotal projects, partnerships and creative moments with you over the past six months. Subscribe to our Newsletter to get monthly updates of our new and upcoming projects. Follow us on Instagram to see more behind the scenes at Korn!

We are eager and excited to watch the final chapters of this completely reimagined luxe independent property unfold with the Hotel Villagio officially re-opening early this summer to join its stylish sister Vintage House which we unveiled this past fall. Korn helped to strategically re-connect this magnificent 22-acre property, introducing a bold new brand, recasting it to a modern lifestyle destination and grownup playground for the senses.

When long-time client and our friends at Brookfield Property Group tapped Korn Design to join this world-class project team, we seized the opportunity to re-awaken and re-introduce a modern interconnected retreat that would set a precedent, and the bar, in the Napa Valley. Korn Design’s brand experience and narrative rings throughout as a true coming-together of placemaking and hospitality – an integral part of this site-sensitive, multi-million-dollar renovation and is completely in sync with the overall design and vision of architects SB Architects, and the wonderful interior design team at Hirsch Bedner Associates. The fabulous MAGRINO leading the public relations front and BCV driving the social media platforms rounded out a great collaboration.

Celebrating that heady mix of sophistication and sensuality that exists in Napa – we created a brand with two alluring personalities that plays out within the two on-property luxury hotels. The serene and stylish Vintage House’s warm elegance and understatement wafts through, while the sinfully good and very social sister hotel, Hotel Villagio, beats to a zesty modern vibe. Tying the two together, and the whole collective, was a worldly POV, that we riffed on with the help of our fave fashion illustrator Manuel Santelices to infuse The Estate’s brand identity with an artful, cheeky side, arriving in a place that is fresh and style-inspired, just like the destination it reflects.

View Project >

We have been excited to share 25 pivotal projects, partnerships and creative moments with you over the past six months. Subscribe to our Newsletter to get monthly updates of our new and upcoming projects. Follow us on Instagram to see more behind the scenes at Korn!

When we cracked open the concept of 25 Years of Korn there was a lot to share and quite a diverse mix. We culminate our Korn@25 campaign here with the last three of these 25 pivotal projects. These represent the eclectic nature of our body of work over the course of a quarter century. From Napa Valley to downtown Philly, to a towering shiny new icon in Vancouver, we are grateful to celebrate and thank all of the amazing KORNStars and partners whom have injected their distinct talents, ideas and view on the world with us and through our work. We are grateful to all of you as our extended family and look forward to continuing to create, invent, adventure and stand for what matters in the years ahead.

2017/2018 – The Estate Yountville
We are eager and excited to watch the final chapters of this completely reimagined luxe independent property unfold with the Hotel Villagio officially re-opening early this summer to join its stylish sister Vintage House which we unveiled this past fall. Korn helped to strategically re-connect this magnificent 22-acre property, introducing a bold new brand, recasting it to a modern lifestyle destination and grownup playground for the senses. View Project >

2018 – Civic Hotel
Though proximate to Vancouver, Surrey BC is far from a suburb. Rather, it’s a vibrant connected crossroads of business and culture – and well on its way to becoming British Columbia’s next great city. The Civic Hotel rises up and sets its sights on anchoring and defining this ascending downtown core with a visionary welcoming social and business hub fronting the new Civic Plaza, t. So with a SkyTrain pass in hand and vibrant planned urban center before us, Korn set out to capture the abundant opportunity present here in a brand that confidently leaned in. View Project >

2015 – The Logan
We love an unusual challenge, and this Host Hotels & Resorts’ project in Center City Philadelphia came with just that: a plan to convert the city’s beloved Four Seasons to their first independent property. Our research led us to understand that while Philadelphia has long been magnetic for its historic charisma and brotherly charm, its finely-nuanced urban texture is what draws and retains people daily. Meaning, it would not be enough to just open a great new hotel, this would need to be an authentic Philadelphia experience – of, by, and for the people of Philadelphia. View Project >

A Unique Partnership

YIN + YANG AT KORN = DENISE + JAVIER

It goes without saying that we have seen it all!

Partners for so long in this creative journey, together we have forged countless meaningful relationships, many now decades-long, with our beloved KORNStars, clients, colleagues and the amazing people we collaborate with.

Yin and Yang at Korn = Denise + Javier, we are grateful for our partnership and lucky to love what we do every day and love who we get to do it with!

Read More >

To all the KORNStars

WE COULDN’T HAVE DONE IT WITHOUT YOU!

Read More >

Youth Design

A PERSONAL NOTE FROM DENISE

Just over 15 years ago, I founded Youth Design with a mission to provide urban creative youth in Boston with awareness, exposure and training opportunities in design, enabling them to envision and pursue a career pathway that would feed their passion for creativity.

We have witnessed the magic that happens when young people – working with hundreds of Youth Designers who have benefited from our “platform for change” and world-class programming – discover the possibilities and realize their limitless potential to pursue a professional creative life in the field of design and beyond!

With tremendous gratitude, a heavy heart, and sincere pride, I want to share with you that we made the bittersweet decision to sunset the Youth Design organization at the end of 2017.

This has been quite a journey.

We are proud of the strides we have made, collectively, in bringing awareness to the need for greater diversity in design and the impact we’ve had in supporting 700+ Youth Designers find achievable pathways to careers in design. This was no small feat.

We have made a difference together and I hope that the Youth Design mission and legacy will continue to thrive in your heart and under your leadership . . . as there is still much work to be done.

For all of this – I and all of the Youth Designers thank you.

We have been excited to share 25 pivotal projects, partnerships and creative moments with you over the past six months. Subscribe to our Newsletter to get monthly updates of our new and upcoming projects. Follow us on Instagram to see more behind the scenes at Korn!