Space Copenhagen selects natural materials for New York's 11 Howard hotel interior
Danish studio Space Copenhagen has created bespoke furniture using stone, wood and leather to complement its interiors for this hotel in Manhattan's SoHo district (+ slideshow).
11 Howard is Space Copenhagen's first project in the US. The building, a former post office, was overhauled by local architects Beyer Blinder Belle – the firm responsible for the renovation of The Met Breuer.
Located on Howard Street, the 221-room hotel was opened in April 2016 by property tycoon Aby Rosen.
Space Copenhagen – the studio behind the interiors of the famous Noma restaurant in the Danish capital – worked with creative director Anda Andrei to design the spaces and furniture for 11 Howard.
The team aimed to infuse the New York hotel with typical Danish design by selected natural materials and a muted palette for the guest bedrooms.
"We're really interested in materials – stone, woods, leathers," said Space Copenhagen co-founder Signe Bindslev Henriksen. "We love things that age well. It's part of our responsibility that a project lives on in a beautiful manner long after we've left."
The studio created a range of custom furniture, handmade in Denmark, for the rooms. Adapted from its Fly collection for Danish brand &tradition, the lounge pieces are made from oiled oak to add to the light colour palette of the walls and flooring.
Space Copenhagen also designed a range of lighting for 11 Howard, while plaster wall ceramics by artist Katie Yang also hang in the bedrooms.
Porcelain tiles, marble countertops and brass trimmings all feature in the en-suite bathrooms.
In contrast, The Blond bar downstairs is decorated with dark woods and golden metals. It is designed to accommodate guests during the day, visitors in the evening, and transform into a nightclub later on.
A steel staircase spirals around a thick column in an atrium space, connecting the public areas on the lower floors.
Next to The Blond, The Library is furnished with Space Copenhagen's designs for manufacturers including Mater, Stellar Works, &Tradition, Gubi and Fredericia. The pieces accompany wide wood floorboards and area rugs.
"We build spaces that feel honest," said Peter Bundgaard Rutzou, the studio's other co-founder. "We create spatial expressions of a client's creative profile, whether that's a chef or hotelier or architect."
"Most importantly, everything we create revolves around the human factor," he added. "We're always thinking about the impact space has on people."
Henriksen and Rutzou founded Space Copenhagen in 2005. As well as Noma, which is frequently ranked among the world's top restaurants, the designers have created interiors for bars, showrooms and private residences around the world. The studio has also designed a range of pendant lights shaped to look like maritime gas lamps.
Its south facade features a 150-feet-high (46-metre) mural created by students with public art organisation Groundswell, mentored by artist Jeff Koons.
Last week, the hotel hosted the American launch of Swarovski's first homeware collection during this year's NYCxDesign festival from 3 to 17 May 2016.
Photography courtesy of 11 Howard.
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