Hella Jongerius redesigned a room where nations negotiate — at the UN

Few briefs carry more protocol than a room inside the United Nations Headquarters. In 2013, Hella Jongerius — with architect Rem Koolhaas — redesigned the North Delegates' Lounge in New York, the space where diplomacy takes its coffee. It fits her résumé: Dutch, Jongeriuslab since 1993, Vitra's colour and material director since 2007, KLM cabins, work collected by the MoMA.

Since 2018 her eye belongs to Mutina too, with the Diarama collection — stoneware La Mercanti ships to US projects, for lobbies that want a colour expert underfoot rather than a paint code.