{"id":789645,"date":"2026-05-11T22:00:23","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T22:00:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/789645\/"},"modified":"2026-05-11T22:00:23","modified_gmt":"2026-05-11T22:00:23","slug":"johnston-marklee-completes-green-metal-tower-in-phoenix","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/789645\/","title":{"rendered":"Johnston Marklee completes green metal tower in Phoenix"},"content":{"rendered":"

California studio Johnston Marklee<\/a> has completed Ray Phoenix, a residential building in Arizona clad in a mint green metal facade, the colour informed by the surrounding desert.<\/p>\n

Located just outside of Phoenix’s downtown, in the city’s Roosevelt Row Arts District, Ray Phoenix contains 401 apartments and rises 26 storeys.<\/p>\n

\"RayJohnston Marklee has completed a tower in Phoenix<\/p>\n

The building was meant to\u00a0 “enhance the Phoenix community by making art, architecture, and design highly accessible to its residents” and was is co-developed by New York developer Ray<\/a> and Kansas-based developer Vela<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It is among a number of owner-operated developments by Ray, which recently completed a similar property in New York designed by\u00a0Frida Escobedo Studio\u00a0and\u00a0Handel Architects<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"RayThe building is clad in a light green metal facade<\/p>\n

Ray Phoenix is made up of a slim tower that sits on a wide, rectangular base. Amenity and garage floors sit in the lower levels, while a pool<\/a> deck sits on top of the podium.<\/p>\n

It is made up of a “consistent grid”, according to Johnston Marklee<\/a> founding partner Sharon Johnston, and was informed by the surrounding desert, including its green colour, which was chosen to both complement and stand out in the environment.<\/p>\n

\"RayPerforated metal panels cover the garage and amenity floors in the podium<\/p>\n

“Ray Phoenix is rooted in an elemental design approach that draws from the desert landscape, weaving different textures and subtle contrasts into a building that feels both grounded and distinct to the city’s skyline,” said Marklee.<\/p>\n

“The building’s design is democratic by nature, with a consistent grid uniting the living units in the tower with the communal spaces, garden deck, and amenity floors at the base.”<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Central<\/p>\n

Multistudio designs towers with “crisp white skin” in Downtown Phoenix\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

The building contains a majority of studio apartments, although one-bedrooms and two-bedroom apartments are also located throughout the floors.<\/p>\n

Amenity spaces include a gym with an outdoor patio, a communal kitchen, a large social space with a sunken lounge, and a “resort-style” pool deck, with a hot tub and a row of shaded seating.<\/p>\n

\"RayA pool deck sits on top of the base<\/p>\n

Its terraces and indoor plantings were designed by Grace Fuller Design<\/a> and feature primarily local species.<\/p>\n

“The majority of the plants are native to North America, and we were deliberate in combining perennials, cacti, and grasses to create a composition that feels immersive and abundant while remaining true to the region’s arid character,” said studio founder Grace Fuller.<\/p>\n

\"RayA mural by artist Alex Israel decorates the lobby<\/p>\n

The building also contains an exhibition space, called Studio 105, and will eventually contain a ground-level retail market.<\/p>\n

For the building’s interior, Ray’s in-house team worked with New York studio Parts and Labor Design<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"RayA sunken sitting area is located in one area of a grand social space<\/p>\n

According to the team, materials such as concrete, heavy-grit plaster, brick, glazed tile and blond oak flooring pay homage to the palette of the desert, while the furniture is wide and low-rising.<\/p>\n

In keeping with Ray’s mission, which seeks to combine arts and design with residential projects, pieces by local artists such as Carlisle Burch<\/a> and rocki swiderski<\/a> are distributed throughout the building.<\/p>\n

\"RayThe building contains a majority of studio apartments<\/p>\n

A mural by Alex Israel<\/a>, depicting local plant species, was commissioned for the lobby.<\/p>\n

“For residents, creators, and passerbys alike, RAY offers something rare: a place where culture isn’t curated for a few, but cultivated for all,” said the team.<\/p>\n

Johnston Marklee recently completed a guesthouse for Danish furniture brand\u00a0Vipp in upstate New York<\/a>, while architecture studio Multistudio also completed a tower in downtown Phoenix<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The photography is by William Jess Laird<\/a><\/p>\n