Project Description
On Sept. 25, 2015, the Virgin Hotel New York broke ground in the NoMad neighborhood of New York City. Located on the southwest corner of 30th Street and Broadway, the 39-story,
500,000-square-foot tower is expected to open in 2018. Global architecture firm VOA has been working closely with the Lam Group and
Virgin Hotels, the owner and developer, to create a dynamic new lifestyle hotel concept that will become
an exciting destination for both travelers and locals.
Appealing
to both the leisure and business traveler, the 465 room hotel will include
approximately 30,000 square feet of amenities including a banquet, meeting, conference and open
workspace located in the cellar. Additionally, multiple food and beverage outlets will be included on the
lower tower floors, along with a rooftop skybar, expansive outdoor terraces, pool and spa,
complemented by 90,000 square feet of retail.
FROM VOA:
Virgin’s commitment to creating a new “lifestyle” hotel product required VOA to consider how their program should inform the architectural solution. The overall design is a selectively sculpted tower over a three level podium, maximizing the open-air program and providing ample amenity floors.
“The design of the tower was conceived from the inside out, taking cues from the hotel room guest floors. Efficiently cellular in nature, the tower originally dictated a simple building form. Deconstruction of this otherwise simple tower was achieved through selective massing being removed and reapplied to create a more interesting form and offer more corner rooms and greater views”, said Brian McFarland, a Principal of VOA and the lead architectural designer on the hotel.
Both plan and structure also informed the expression of the façade. Major structural elements are located strategically along perimeter zones where daylighting was not required. Further accentuating the design is the tower cladding; a colossal scale mosaic of differing embossed stainless steel panels which visually elongate the building vertically, making it appear more slender. Extruding the reflective glazed areas out between the metal solids creates a reading of crystalline cubic solids emphasizing the three dominant hotel exposures.
VOA Architecture NY Managing Principal, Len Cerame states, ”The Virgin Hotel New York’s distinctive look is sure to play a key role in the NOMAD neighborhood’s transformation process.”
The breadth of the Broadway frontage – designed as a continuous surface of glass storefronts – will feature premier retailers.
Upon completion the Virgin Hotel will take its place as the northern anchor of Nomad. It will bridge the gap between southern Madison Square Park and the Flatiron district to Herald Square. With the comprehensive food and beverage offerings and large retail component, The Virgin Hotel will drive increased foot traffic and further invigorate this transforming neighborhood.