Internationally renowned design architect MVRDV and New York-based architect of record Stonehill Taylor intentionally designed Radio Hotel and Tower to celebrate the vibrancy, diversity, and atmosphere of Washington Heights.
Radio Hotel is the first-ever full-service boutique hotel in Upper Manhattan’s Washington Heights. The hotel is the central anchor of the mixed-use development, which includes a Santo Domingo-inspired restaurant, 10,000 sq. ft. of dedicated event space, 175,000 sq. ft. of office and retail space, an 8,000 sq. ft. activated courtyard, and a rooftop lounge with 360° panoramic views of downtown Manhattan, the GW Bridge and the Harlem River.
Designed in collaboration by architectural studios MVRDV and Stonehill Taylor, the 221-room hotel features a range of rooms and suites just steps away from the nearby “A” subway platform for convenient access to NYC sights and landmarks.
The artfully designed hotel draws on the liveliness of Washington Heights and provides a unique guest experience. Finding inspiration in existing architectural patterns found throughout the neighborhood and adopting the vibrant colors of local storefronts, MVRDV and Stonehill Taylor designed Radio Hotel and Tower to resemble a vertically built Washington Heights. Hence the Lego-like structure’s, whimsical and colorful “blocks” of green, yellow, blue, orange and magenta.
We caught up with Winy Maas, Co-founder at MVRDV, and Patrick Hebert, Associate at Stonehill Taylor, to get their thoughts on this exciting project.
Where did the conversation with the client begin and what was their brief?
Winy Maas: We were in contact with the client for some time; they had seen our architecture in the media and found that we were a match for their design approach. By the time we started on Radio Hotel and Tower we had already done some design work for them and we had a good connection. Once they connected us to this project, it took a number of years of work to make the design a reality, given its complex background.
There was actually more than one design brief over the years – it started as a drive-thru restaurant and ended, after a collaboration with all stakeholders, in the brief that led to the building we see today. For us it was a very welcome process. The goal was to get a satisfying design and programme that was ideally suited for this location.
Tell us about some of the new design features that were unique to this project?
Winy Maas: Radio Hotel and Tower is a building that definitely fits within a particular lineage of MVRDV’s work. We’ve designed a lot of “stack” buildings, but this project is arguably the purest example of that design concept that we have built to date – in particular, it is a great example in which a stack of blocks are all shifted to create terraces on the top of the blocks below. Of course, the highlight here is the large event space terrace with views over Manhattan, but we are also proud that we were able to provide outdoor spaces for every block.
One thing that is special in this building compared to all of our “stack projects” is the colours. We were really inspired by the bright colours of the shops in the neighbourhood, so we worked hard to make those an unmissable part of our design. Colour is very important in our work, but even so Radio Hotel and Tower is one of our most colourful buildings yet!
Patrick Hebert: I think MVRDV’s concept of overlapping blocks/massing is certainly unique to the area and unique to any project I’ve ever worked on, if not a unique feature for architecture as a whole. I also think the central public plaza is very distinctive for the area.
Can you talk about the use of materials throughout?
Winy Maas: The most notable material to mention here is brick, of course. All of the blocks are clad in a different colour of glazed brick (except for the uppermost one, which is stucco painted bright green). The selection of these bricks was crucial to the success of the project – it’s not common for buildings to be such bright colours, so being able to source bricks that were bright and bold enough was important, and we’re very happy with the result.
Patrick Hebert: The main featured material is undoubtedly the exterior glazed brick. Its colors were chosen from various photos taken in the surrounding neighborhood. The scale of the building also makes it a very visible beacon. The hope is that it becomes a symbol of revitalization for the area. I also like the use of color on the interior. All hotel room types have a distinct bold color scheme that carries through various materials including ceramic tile and custom sink vanities.
How did you tackle issues surrounding sustainability?
Winy Maas: Social sustainability is a critical aspect of the design and management of the building. Due to its height and location, the building inevitably stands out from its surroundings. It was important to ensure that the building became part of the neighbourhood, not an intruder.
Our selection of bright colours, made as a reference to the surroundings, was an important message of the building’s intent, and that attitude extends to the hotel itself: the building respects the area’s majority-Dominican demographics, with the presence of Jalao NYC, the first US outpost of the popular Santo Domingo restaurant. In addition, 70% of the employees at the hotel and restaurant are from the neighbourhood itself.
What was the most challenging part about this project?
Winy Maas: The construction took place in large part during the COVID pandemic. This was a great challenge, especially for the contractor. Yet still, everybody managed to get everything done in time and everybody was always informed and aligned with everyone else.
Patrick Hebert: I imagine it was convincing investors of the viability of the project as well as the remediation of the site (an existing gas station) which led to certain hardships that allowed the developer certain variances in terms of zoning. For me personally, the biggest challenge came when COVID hit. The “construction” part of the project went on hold, with no idea of when it would start up again. But the construction team persevered. We kept the project moving in this down-time by procuring, reviewing, and approving submittals from sub-contractors for months so that when we could start up again, we could hit the ground running.
