The first citizenM hotel in the United States opened in April near Times Square in New York City. Headquartered in Amsterdam, citizenM is known for its offbeat sensibility and emphasis on affordable luxury, technology, and style. The design for the 21-story, 230-room hotel was a collaboration between Amsterdam-based design architect Concrete and New York City-based executive architect Montroy Andersen DeMarco (MADGI). The 2,300-square-foot first floor houses an oversized, living room-style lobby that provides work and meeting space, food and beverage, entertainment, a bookstore, and a bar. “It’s like a Starbucks, a library, and a restaurant all in one,” says MADGI Principal Richard J. DeMarco, AIA.
On Full Display
A two-story display case showcases an eclectic mix of art, books, and colorful objects from around the world. “The amount of materiality within the space adds to that liveliness,” DeMarco says. “When you come, you always find something new.”
Going Up?
The elevator core features an art installation by Julian Opie. Clad in black granite, it’s engraved with oversized human silhouettes and filled in with gold leaf. “When they finally commissioned the piece, they realized they wanted to do it in stone, so we had to go back and reengineer the walls to have that support,” DeMarco says. “I think it came out fantastic.”
Blurred Lines
The 1,500-square-foot mezzanine, which includes a lounge, a work area, and Apple desktops and printers, expands outside to two terraces. “We tried to blend the interior and exterior not only on the main floor level but also on the mezzanine level,” DeMarco says. “We spent great pains and time to detail the architecture so the glass of the rail system seems to flow through the glass of the building’s facade.”
