View of the façade
View from the street
Designed by Antonio Citterio and Partners, the hotel lobby contrasts natural materials such as warm wood paneling and slate floors with bold, graphic elements. An abstract foliage pattern can be seen on lobby and elevator walls, and an eclectic modern aesthetic is achieved by pairing sleek custom furniture with Oriental rugs.
The lobby bar was designed to be a destination in and of itself. The bar proper is clad in stone panels and wood, with inset, mirrored, and uplit shelves for displaying the liquor bottles. The space connects to the restaurant, Faustina.
The second floor bar provides a more casual place for guests to linger. Departing from the dark tones of the ground floor spaces, Citterio here turned to lighter woods and a metal paneling system for the walls and built-in bookshelves. Client Klaus Ortlieb, a bibliophile, wanted to include books as part of the décor in an effort to create what he calls a “homey” environment. And books there are—in the lobby library, guest rooms, and even the upstairs bar (shown here).
Each guest room features a unique footprint defined by the curved profile of the tower. The clerestory-level lites in the curtain wall are more heavily fritted to help mitigate glare in the rooms when the sun is at its peak. The canted form of a support column is echoed in a ladder bookshelf, holding more of Ortlieb’s beloved volumes.
The terrace off the second floor bar creates an outdoor space where guests can relax above the hubbub of the Manhattan streetscape. The site’s odd shape and Zapata’s attempts to lessen the building’s impact at ground level resulted in a series of interstitial spaces, like this one, that Zapata was able to reclaim and turn into public zones.
Library
