Benedict Wilhelm

“It is the different skill sets, diversity of our team and the urge to push boundaries and exceed expectations that keeps us excited and gives us the desire to explore.”

Benedict Wilhelm is the creative director and co-owner of Studio Phyne, a Vienna-based design studio, specialising in projects within the hospitality, retail, beauty and residential sector.

How did you start Studio Phyne?

Although technically older, previously called Studio Wilhelm, Studio Phyne was founded in 2022, after an old childhood friend of mine, Philipp Bruni, and I decided to join forces under one name.

The studio was set up with the mission to create real, concept driven, designs that work. We believe that every project needs to tell a story that customers and clients will experience and are able to relate to, whilst also delivering from a functional point of view. It is our aim to find this perfect balance between the ‘experience’ and the ‘functional‘ aspect In every project.

What is your relationship to Vienna? 

As a teenager I used to spend every other weekend in Vienna, visiting my father who lived here. I have fond memories of doing fun stuff but did not really have a proper relationship to the city. When I moved to London, I felt Vienna wasn’t quite ‘cool’ enough, too small and narrow minded – but this has definitely changed. After 20 years in London, I moved to Vienna out of necessity and with mixed feelings. Four years on and I truly love living in this city. The timing couldn’t have been better as the city is thriving and you can feel and see change at every corner.

How do you express your personal style at work?

I love wearing hand made leather shoes combined with jeans and or black trousers, and a T-shirt with some sort of mechanics jacket or over-shirt. This works well for me, the over shirts have large pockets were I keep pens and all sorts of samples when working in our workshop and showroom. I always wear a classic wrist watch and include some kind of accessory – a scarf or shawl is my current favourite. If it has to be a bit smarter, I swap the t-shirt with a white shirt.