Built in 1853, on the site of a stable in a vernacular Greek Revival style, 130 Charles Street was always a modest house in the heart of the bustling dockside of Greenwich Village.
Last June, Yotel'a U.K.-based hotel chain inspired by Japanese capsule hotels and luxury airline cabins'opened a location on the far west side of Manhattan. It is just one component within a vast, $800 million, mixed-use complex designed by Arquitectonica. But the hotel, with a facade, public spaces, and 669 rooms by Rockwell Group and lighting firm Focus, possesses its own distinct character. It has a '2001: A Space Odyssey feel,' says Michael Cummings, Focus design director. The hotel's public spaces are illuminated almost exclusively with LEDs. The brightness of the source worked well with the sleek, predominately white and gray
With all the glitzy-hip hotels opening in New York City these days, you could get very tired of the boutique approach that went into full throttle after Ian Schrager and Steve Rubell opened Morgans Hotel in 1984.
A six-story, 120,000-square-foot mixed-use building that houses Pratt Institute's digital arts department and the digital arts lab; student services, including the admissions and financial aid offices; the nonprofit housing advocacy group Pratt Center for Community Development; and a natural foods supermarket on the ground floor.
With the concept of modern comfort in mind, the architects stripped the apartment down to the studs and built it back up with new drywall, flooring, fixtures, and finishes.
Owner: Chanel Completion Date: September 2010 Program: A single-story, 4,170-square-foot Chanel boutique located in the heart of SoHo. The store includes a ready-to-wear department, a watch corner, a beauty and fragrance area, a handbag bar, and a shoe section. Design concept and solution: Inspired by SoHo's artistic history, the architects sought to channel classic Chanel motifs and the New York art world with specially commissioned fixtures and artworks. When customers enter, they are met by a 10-foot-tall acrylic bottle of Chanel No. 5 outfitted with screens that play brand-themed videos. The interior finishes are classic Chanel black and white: a
