October 12, 2026

Words: Jen Renzi

Photography: courtesy of the New York Design Center

New York Design Center Marks 100 Years of Design

Purpose-built in 1926 by architect Ely Jacques Khan, the New York Design Center, the country’s oldest such institution, celebrates its centennial. Over the decades, the art deco facility’s mission has endured—proffering classic and contemporary furnishings to the commercial and residential trade—while its client outreach evolved to stay ahead of industry changes. Established as the New York Furniture Exchange to serve store buyers exclusively, NYDC (colloquially known as 200 Lex) began catering to designers and architects in the 1970s and more recently expanded to offer an education program catering to consumers. Today, its 500,000 square feet house nearly 100 showrooms, from Andreu World to Vaughan, offering fabric, floor- and wallcovering, lighting, and more—not to mention a gallery of 50-plus antique and vintage dealers. It’s everything a designer needs. nydc.com

milstones: 100 years

  • A person walks through the marble-clad lobby of the New York Design Center toward a central hallway.
    The lobby of the New York Design Center nods to the building’s art deco heritage.
  • Line drawing of a large building with a flag on the roof that reads “100 YEARS.”
    Refreshed graphics to celebrate its centennial.
  • The New York Furniture Exchange building with cars parked on the street in front.
    An archival image from when it operated as the New York Furniture Exchange, serving store buyers, before its 1980 renaming.

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