With a classic elegance that transcends both time and fashion, the building celebrates the grandeur of historic New York City hotels.
The 54-story tower occupies a through-block site in an exclusive part of Midtown, responding to local zoning codes with setbacks up to the cruciform crown. Evoking a time when going to a hotel was a memorable occasion, the design places less emphasis on the efficiencies of checking in and out than on the pleasures of the luxury hotel experience. To this end, the guestrooms have the feel of apartments, and public areas are designed around personal service and discreet ceremony.
Show Facts
Site
A prominent through-block site between 57th and 58th streets and Madison and Park avenues in Midtown Manhattan
Components
532,000 ft2 / 49,000 m2 gross area; rooms and suites, including Presidential Suite; grand foyer; lobby lounge; bar and grill; retail; prefunction space; conference/meeting rooms; health club facilities
Client
EIE Regent Avenue Corporation, a subsidiary of EIE International, Tokyo
PCF&P Services
Architecture, exterior envelope
lead designer
Awards
Annual Tucker Award
Building Stone Institute, 1994
Award of Merit
Concrete Industry Association, 1993
Annual Award
East Side Association, 1993
Clad in French Magny limestone, the tower becomes one with New York, which remains a masonry city despite its many glass skyscrapers. The hotel has a unique skyline presence, as distinctly wrought lanterns at each setback add a festive note distinct from Midtown office buildings.
Ground floor plan
Surrounding the grand foyer is a terraced salon that invites New Yorkers and travelers alike to socialize over tea, drinks, or dinner. Conveying an air of both magnificence and intimacy, it is a place to see and be seen, a gracious stage for urban theater.
Project Credits
Associate Architect: Frank Williams & Associates, New York; Structural: Robert Rosenwasser Associates, P. C., New York; Mechanical / Electrical: Jaros Baum & Bolles, New York, NY; Interiors: Chhada Siembieda & Partners, Long Beach, CA; Interiors: Betty Garber Design, Consultant, Beverly Hills; Images: Victor Zbigniew Orlewicz, Serge Hambourg, Pei Cobb Freed & Partners