Location: Brooklyn
Designer: Roman and Williams, Stonehill Taylor (Architect of Record)
On Offer: Shifting its sights to Brooklyn’s Boerum Hill borough, Ace Hotels debuts a vintage-revival escape for its second New York location. Designed by Roman and Williams, guests are greeted by a soaring ceramic mural on the building’s facade by influential modernist Stan Bitters––a tribute to Pritzker Prize-winning architect Fumihiko Maki’s design masterpiece, Hotel Okura in Tokyo, which succumbed to demolition in 2015.
Inside, the lobby is done up in raw concrete, earthy tones, and sculptural furniture. Outfitted with half-moon windows, the lobby bar segues into the restaurant, As You Are, offering up local craft beer, classic cocktails, and global-inflected cuisine with a vibrant mosaic by the artist Isaiah Zagar in the backdrop. The interplay of rustic and minimalist design cues continues in the 287 eclectic rooms inspired by Le Corbusier’s renowned Côte d’Azur cabin, Le Cabanon. Appointed with warm wood furnishings and hand-loomed bed coverings by Maine Heritage Weavers, thoughtful touches include acoustic D’Angelico Guitars, Music Hall turntables, and a selection of records provided by cult vinyl shop Rough Trade.
Standout Features: Ace has a well-earned reputation for using its properties as a platform for local creative communities, but the Brooklyn outpost takes it up a notch. In addition to contributing original works for the guest rooms, artist Niki Tsukamoto curated the brand’s first large-scale fiber art program. She commissioned a group of 36 mostly local textile artists to create original pieces for the rooms, communal areas, and the on-site gallery, which hosts rotating exhibitions. In November, “Black Folks in Design” will be on show during NYC Design Week; December will welcome an experimental installation by the Textile Art Center in which the space is transformed into a studio for workshops and demonstrations. Drop the shop for unique curios crafted by the hotel’s collaborators such as ceramic works by Cynthia Alberto, Paige Martin’s jewelry, and Caroline Kaufman prints.
