The Virgin Hotel New York breaks ground in the NoMad neighborhood of New York City. Located on the southwest corner of 30th Street and Broadway, the 39-storey, 500,000-square-foot tower is expected to open in 2018. VOA, the architect and interior designer, has been working closely with owner/developer the Lam Group and Virgin Hotels 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-key hotel will include approximately 30,000 square feet of amenities: banquet, meeting, conference and open workspace located in the cellar; multiple food and beverage outlets on the lower tower floors; rooftop skybar, expansive outdoor terraces, pool and spa; complemented by 90,000 square feet of retail.
Architectural Design
Virgin’s commitment to creating a new “lifestyle” hotel product required VOA to consider how its 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.
Says Brian McFarland, a principal of VOA and the lead architectural designer on the hotel, “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.”
Both plan and structure also informed the expression of the facade. 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.
Says Len Cerame, VOA Architecture NY managing principal, ”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.
ALL ABOUT VOA
VOA Architecture, PLLC, is a global architecture and interior design firm that blends the capabilities of a multinational company with the care and attention of a boutique studio. VOA hospitality environments elevate the guest experience, aligning guest desires with inspired solutions that foster relaxation, personal connections, and memorable experiences. Its project teams of hospitality experts create designs that bring long-term value to project stakeholders, reflecting their project vision and goals and communicating a consistent brand message, in addition to being functional, efficient and beautiful. VOA is consistently ranked as one of the top 20 design firms by Hotel and Management Magazine, Hospitality Design and Interior Design magazine’s Hospitality Giants list.
For more info, visit www.voa.com
