11 Howard, New York

Posted in Projects on 8 March, 2016

As 11 Howard prepares to make its fashionable entrance in Soho New York, Hamish Kilburn takes a sneak peak into the new hotel where Danish-inspired design meets the raw, industrial and timeless nature of New York…

Downtown Manhattan is a place where style, craftsmanship and vibrancy is on every corner of every avenue. Making a fashionable entrance to the area, real estate mogul Aby Rosen, co-founder of real estate design company RFR Holding, has announced the opening of 11 Howard.

11 Howard’s Creative Director, Anda Andrei of Anda Andrei Design, in partnership with interior designers Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard Rützou – the team behind the Danish architecture and design studio SPACE Copenhagen – have consciously crafted the hotel to infuse the timeless DNA of the Danish design tradition with the raw and industrial yet timeless nature of New York. The resulting environment is warm, light and open.

Approaching the hotel, majestic trees and marquee lights form a gateway. Inside, meticulously curated objects greet guests as if walking through a gallery. Every area of the hotel displays a bespoke piece of furniture, a painting, sculpture or a digital art-piece chosen specifically to frame the guest experience.

The 15-foot high ceilings accent 11 Howard’s lobby is lined with bleached oak wood paneling and polished concrete floors. The lobby is furnished with unique and sculptural furniture that melds effortlessly with Alexander Calder’s Untitled, 1976 mobile as its centrepiece. A breathtaking custom-made blacken steel cylindrical staircase to the left links to the second floor amenity spaces. At the top of the stairs, a neon art piece by Dan Attoe – visible from the street – is the first signal of the blending of the old in with the new.

Every space in 11 Howard is intimate and specific in mood and atmosphere. Guests will feel like they are in their home rather than in a hotel. There are many nooks to explore, whether guests want to read a book, grab a drink, have an intimate conversation with a friend or celebrate with a large group.

The Library – an open, sun-drenched space on the second floor of the hotel – features a wide wood-board floor, plaster walls, plush area rugs and a collection of furniture curated from different parts of the world and many one-of-a-kind designed pieces by Signe Bindslev Henriksen and Peter Bundgaard of SPACE Copenhagen, Rick Owens, Gio Ponti, Tobia Scarpa, Vincenzo De Cottis, Gabriel Hendifar and Jeremy Anderson. The room’s elements are accented by two distinct photographs of the Seagram Building and breathtaking ocean views by Hiroshi Sugimoto, who has spoken of his own work as an expression of ‘time exposed’ or photographs serving as a time capsule for a series of events in time.

The Hotel showcases work of inspiring young artists thanks to a partnership with Groundswell, a New York community mural organization that uses creativity as a tool for change, and mentorship from renowned artist Jeff Koons. “It’s my pleasure to work with the youth group from Groundswell on the Howard Street mural. This is a very creative team of young artists, and it’s rare to see a group with such a unified vision. I’ve enjoyed working with the artists during the conception of their idea,” Koons said.

Echoing the hotel’s meticulous, modernist and timeless ethos, 11 Howard Hosts are dressed in designs to stimulate your senses by fashion designer Serkan Sarier. Maintaining a traditional approach to hotel uniforms but respecting how fashion is influenced by the streets of New York City, Sarier fused an urban, relaxed attitude with a traditional bespoke look for the 11 Howard uniforms that is appealing and comforting to guests visiting from down the street or across the globe.

The Blond, the 11 Howard bar, adds to the hotel’s unique aesthetic and fluid design. The Blond welcomes guests throughout the day and evening to enjoy themselves, work, meet friends, network or just relax. Open and warmly-lit, once the sun goes down, The Blond transforms into an elegant bar space making it the perfect spot to savor the bars signature cocktails or snacks before venturing into the New York City night. If guests get comfortable, they can get a taste of the city’s nightlife without making a move when The Blond morphs into a fun, high-energy nightclub after midnight with a new DJ spinning every night.

Upstairs, the 221 guestrooms boast 11-foot-high ceilings and oversized windows for abundant natural light and unique views of the city’s streetscapes thanks to low surrounding buildings, offer unexpected views of the Empire State Building and Brooklyn Bridge to lower Manhattan’s hidden architectural gems. The hotel’s celebrated Terrace Suite extends these incredible city sights with a wrap- around landscaped terrace for entertaining or a private outdoor oasis, flaunting a 270-degree view of downtown Manhattan to the North, East and South.

Each guestroom is furnished with bed and chairs, desk, credenzas, tables and light, all designed to be functional with grace and humanity by SPACE Copenhagen and handcrafted by Danish carpenters in a variety of luminous woods and fabrics. A single art object designed by ceramist Katie Yang decorates each room, and each piece was positioned in each room by Yang herself. Beautiful materials of porcelain tile, marble countertops and brass trimmings line the in-room bathrooms, along with organic Grown Alchemist and Glossier products. Guests are able to personalize their mini bar experience through tablets in each room offering a menu of healthy munchies, supplied by Thrive Market and Conscious Commerce.

11 Howard has mixed technology with the quintessential NYC method of transportation – the skateboard. Through a partnership with Boosted boards, guests can even explore the neighbourhood on 11 Howard Boosted longboards to commute in true NYC style. The hotel has captured the true DNA of a part of the the area and will no doubt give guests a unique and contemporary experience of the city.

The hotel officially opens 1 April 2016.

11howard.com