The designs presented in this volume offer a wide and varied vision of the latest trends in bar and restaurant design, selected from the most cutting-edge, wining-and-dining hotspots in the world. With ...
This Wyndham hotel stitches together a variety of design elements that strongly mesh with its Garment District home.
By Matthew Hall
Lots of hotels make the claim that their architecture and interior designs are interwoven with the look of the surrounding neighborhood. But the new Fashion 26 hotel in New York's fabled Garment District takes that concept to a whole new level.
That 280-key Wyndham locale sits at 26th Street and 7th Avenue, across the street from the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). And from top to bottom, interior designer Glen Coben of Glen & Co. infused the 22-story space with features that reflect and reinforce its locale.
The lobby, for example, houses Coben's custom-designed wooden reception desk, which is modeled after a fashion studio cutting-room table, including iron legs like those found on old-fashioned sewing tables. Hanging over the desk is artist Devorah Sperber's “After Mondrian (Fashion 26)” installation, an homage to Piet Mondrian's city-inspired scenes. From a distance, Sperber's piece looks like a painting, featuring a bold array of squares and rectangles that are interlinked with a strong black line that suggests an urban grid of streets and intersections. However, the piece is actually composed of 1632 spools of thread.
This tapestry of spools splinters into reflected flashes of color when viewed in the numerous mirrors on the adjoining wall that houses the hotel's elevator bank. The property's garment-related theme is also integrated into the lobby's lighting scheme, which includes overhead LEDs encased in acrylic tubing that's covered with woven Zorel fabric with an embroidered pattern.
On the hotel's guest-room floors, the corridors do double-duty as art galleries, hosting a rotating set of photos created by FIT students. The guest rooms boast custom-designed hardwood furniture and wallpapered accent walls. And the hotel is also home to two destination dining venues: the RARE Bar and Grill, an upscale burger joint that features bold colors and deep wood accents, and RARE View, a rooftop bar and lounge.
“As someone who has been involved with this project since its inception over two years ago, it is wonderful to see this unique combination of fashion, hospitality and exemplary service come to fruition,” said Paul Celnik, founder of Mode Hospitality Hospitality, the property's manager.
Project Participants:
Developer/Owner
Infinity Real Estate LLC
Flag
Wyndham Hotels and Resorts LLC
Manager
Mode Hospitality Management
Architecture
Peter Poon Architects LP
Interior Design
Glen & Co.
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