Designed by Rafael de Cárdenas, the first OHWOW Book Club opened in New York’s Greenwich Village.
Drawing inspiration from stepping patterns commonly found in Navajo blankets, Rafael de Cárdenas
constructs a new retail space for OHWOW, the creative collective spearheaded by Al Moran and Aron
Bondaroff. OHWOW Book Club is located below street level in a landmarked historic brownstone on
Waverly Place. At 150 sq ft, this pocket-sized store was conceived by de Cardenas to echo a classic black
& white, pre-war NYC bathroom. Its shelving units appear stacked one atop the other and the negative
space behind the shelves lends a floating sensation. A layered pattern of stream-lined brushstrokes on the
walls, coupled with reflective angular mylar shapes and sharp fluorescent lighting give the space a sense
of disorientation and chaos, fitting in OHWOW’s vision of creating a heterotopic arena for cultural
About Rafael de Cardenas:
Rafael de Cardenas received his BA from The Rhode Island School of Design and, following graduation,
took a job at Calvin Klein, working for three years as a designer for the men’s collection. In 1999, he
began pursuing an architecture degree at Columbia University, later transferring to UCLA where he
received his MA architecture in 2002. His first project following graduation was working with the architect
Greg Lynn on the redesign of the World Trade Center site. Their submission, a series of five buildings
interconnected to create a cathedral-like space, was one of the six final entries. De Cárdenas then began
work in the New York offices of special effects production house Imaginary Forces.
As a creative director working on experience design projects, he oversaw a range of innovative concepts including the
BMW Experience at their headquarters in Munich, and the HBO store in New York. In 2005, de Cárdenas
opened his own design firm out of an office in New York’s Chinatown. His interest in creating
environments with moods, as opposed to any specific style, has allowed him to work with an array of
clients. Using color, light, and pattern, de Cárdenas has created artful, imaginative interiors for boutiques,
restaurants and private residences in London, Rome, Athens, Chicago, Miami, New York, and
The Hamptons. His work has been featured in Elle Décor, Surface, Paper, Metropolis, CITY, The New
York Observer, and The New York Times.
OHWOW Book Club was originally published on Shiny Facade
