A new midtown hotel designed by Gene Kaufman Architect (GKA)will break ground at 525 Eighth Avenue this month. The 321-room hotel will occupy 96,000 square feet between 36th and 37th streets.
The project is being developed by Sam Chang’s McSam Hotel Group, which will announce the brand affiliation shortly.
The 28-story hotel, which is adjacent to a low-rise, one-story structure, will be a striking addition to the block, bringing a jolt of vibrancy to a quiet stretch of Eighth Avenue.
Changes in plane and a façade that uses brick, metal panels and stucco to create a dynamic color palette will further enhance the hotel’s street presence.
Among the hotel’s amenities is a 3,000-square-foot rooftop bar-and-lounge with wraparound views and both indoor and outdoor dining. A landscaped plaza fronting Eighth Avenue will offer seating for hotel guests and the public alike. Facing the plaza, which will be lit at night to facilitate evening as well as daytime use, will be 2,600 square feet of ground-floor retail, further energizing the plaza.
Said Gene Kaufman, Founder and Principal of Gene Kaufman Architect: “The hotel’s design takes advantage of its high-visibility location in what is currently the hottest hotel market in the country. The public plaza and the detailed façade will make this a striking addition to area.”
Gene Kaufman Architect (GKA) has a well-earned reputation in the real estate and private development arenas for high-caliber, high-impact designs that are innovative and highly efficient. For nearly 30 years, Principal Gene Kaufman and his team have cultivated strong, collaborative relationships with some of New York City’s most active developers, helping them to realize substantial bottom-line results through thoughtful design. Known as a hospitality designer par excellence, the firm also has a significant portfolio of commercial, educational and institutional commissions; residential projects; and urban developments, notably multi-family residences and adaptive-reuse projects. GKA’s special expertise in the niche areas of zoning, land-use changes, variances, urban planning and historic restoration is a critical resource for clients. In 2011, GKA joined forces with Gwathmey Siegel + Associates, the architecture practice of the celebrated modernists Charles Gwathmey, who died in 2009, and Robert Siegel. The resulting firm, Gwathmey Siegel Kaufman & Associates Architects (GSKA), works collaboratively with GKA to provide clients with the full spectrum of architectural services. For more information, visit www.gkapc.com.
