New York, NY
Undisclosed International Hotelier
102,600 sf
A boutique hotelier identified an available site appealingly near Hudson Yards, the Javits Convention Center, West Chelsea’s art galleries, and the remarkable riverside High Line elevated rails-to-trail park.
Helpern Architects’ initial assignment was to sort out the opportunities and constraints for the proposed 13-story, 176-key luxury hotel. Could we create two lower levels to fit in an art gallery, bar/restaurant, fitness center/spa, and back-of-house spaces? Is there a way to introduce natural light into those spaces? What about a garden? As befits the art-alert district but given the side-street location, how could the façade be distinctive? Would it be sufficient to rely on choice of materials, lighting, and art to convey luxury, even glamor?
Yes to all the above … but there were important No’s: The occupied site had a high water table because of the proximity to the Hudson. The existing buildings contained asbestos, and the site was a designated brownfield.
Equally troubling, time was of the essence, because New York City was about to require Special Permits for new hotels, in essence mandating union construction and staffing, plus an extended review period for neighborhood scrutiny.
Working closely with the client’s US-based project manager and key firms from the 15-firm consultant team, we successfully undertook programming, space planning, and schematic design. We considered the pertinent codes and brand standards. We acknowledged that the critical path was below-grade work, including preliminary contact with New York City’s Department of Buildings, Department of Environmental Conservation, and Transit Authority.
Things were going well, but then came an unexpected fatal blow to the project: When the country and city shut down because of Covid-19, the pertinent agencies suspended their work. More critically, travel restrictions kept our European client from travel to the US, even as they faced a deeply changed market back home.
