Cooper Carry (Atlanta)  announced the expansion of one of its design studios, The Johnson Studio, with the opening of a new restaurant, hospitality interiors and club design studio in its New York City office. Hospitality design veteran Ray Chung will lead the new studio, located in Downtown Manhattan.

Cooper Carry’s New York office, which opened in 1998, is known for designing office, retail, hotel and mixed-use projects, including The Lodge at Woodloch, an award-winning destination spa in Hawley, Pennsylvania; Lighthouse Point, the landmark mixed-use community on Staten Island; and a new Hilton hotel proposed for the banks of the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey.

“Our New York office has seen great demand for hospitality projects, and our decision to open the new studio, helmed by Ray, will better prepare our team to design iconic projects across the Northeast,” said Bill Johnson, Associate Principal of The Johnson Studio. “We are confident that Ray’s extensive hospitality background and familiarity with New York City will allow him to strategically grow the hospitality-focused practice.”

At New York City-based Tihany Design and before that, Rockwell Group, Chung led the design of restaurants, bars, theaters, spas, hotels, luxury cruise ships and casinos. He earned his Bachelor of Arts at Yale University, and his Master in Architecture at Harvard University Graduate School of Design.

Cooper Carry’s move to expand its restaurant design and hospitality interiors practice through The Johnson Studio at COOPER CARRY comes after the two design firms joined forces earlier this year. The Johnson Studio at Cooper Carry is currently working on twenty projects across the U.S. and the Caribbean.