2026 | Professional
Entrant
Category
Client's Name
Country / Region
Mirbeau Beacon is a wellness resort set on the historic Tioronda estate in New York's Hudson Valley, where Fishkill Creek flows toward the Hudson River. For more than 165 years, the estate has served several purposes, yet each has drawn upon the restorative qualities of its natural surroundings. Its architecture and landscape tell an evolving story of retreat, healing, and connection to nature.
Joseph and Eliza Howland built the estate’s Gothic Revival mansion in 1859, commissioning Frederick Clarke Withers, an architect credited with introducing High Victorian Gothic style to America. Henry Winthrop Sargent, a founder of American landscape architecture, designed the horticulture. A rare weeping hemlock Joseph discovered on a nearby hike still grows on the property, alongside Pinus Bungeana, which is believed to be the country’s oldest lacebark pine. In 1873, Richard Morris Hunt, later known for designing the Statue of Liberty’s pedestal, added a Music Room centered around a custom pipe organ.
After the Howlands’ passing, the estate began its next chapter as Craig House in 1915, a mental health sanctuary named one of the country’s finest by Fortune magazine in 1935. For more than 80 years, it welcomed notable guests including Marilyn Monroe, Jackie Gleason, and Rosemary Kennedy, who were drawn to its belief that nature could be part of healing. When Craig House closed in 2000, the estate sat quietly vacant for two decades.
Reviving the estate meant honoring its history while repairing the effects of time. Evidence uncovered during construction made it possible to rebuild the Music Room’s long-lost bay window, while original flooring, brick, and millwork were carefully salvaged and renewed throughout the mansion. The rear elevation, gardens, and rolling hills were revealed after years behind retaining walls and later additions. Nearby, a new guestroom and spa building sit quietly in the landscape, set apart so the historic mansion remains the heart of the experience.
Named a Best of Travel 2026 winner by Modern Luxury Manhattan, Mirbeau Beacon now offers 72 guest rooms, a spa, and a Bistro & Wine Bar, continuing a legacy of retreat that began more than 165 years ago.
Credits
Entrant
GUO-CHI Construction CO., LTD.
Category
Institutional Architecture - New Category
Entrant
China University of Technology
Category
Student Design - Interior Design
Entrant
Yuqi Zhang
Category
Residential Architecture - Sustainable and Eco-Friendly Homes
Entrant
DOME+Partners
Category
Residential Architecture - Multi-Family and Apartment Buildings