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      Denniston Architects converts 1920s skyscraper into Aman New York hotel

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      Denniston Architects has converted New York City’s Crown Building in the heart of bustling Midtown into a space for the Aman Resorts luxury hotel group.

      Aman New York hotel opened in August 2022 in a beaux-arts building at 57th Street and Fifth Avenue completed in 1921 by Warren & Wetmore – the architecture studio behind Grand Central Station.
      Fabric umbrellas cover the Aman New York’s outdoor terrace bar, which enjoys views of ManhattanJean-Michel Gathy and his studio Denniston Architects, which is frequently tapped for Aman locations, restored and converted the 25-storey tower to create 82 suites and 22 residences.
      To create a feeling of quiet and relaxation in the middle of New York City, elements like glass soundproofing were combined with a muted, minimalist colour and material palette throughout the building.
      The hotel is designed to capitalise on its location at the corner of 57th Street and Fifth AvenueGold details were also added throughout as a nod to its ornamental spire.

      “Every detail of the design effortlessly contributes to Aman New York’s aura of rarefied calm,” said Aman Resorts.
      A circular fire pit sits within a square reflecting pool on the garden terraceOak, walnut and cinnamon woods are used for finishes, floors, doors and custom furnishings, while bronze, brass, and stainless and blackened steel add warmth.
      Japanese influences are found in elements including textured stone floors laid in a pattern reminiscent of woven rattan baskets.
      Suites feature pivoting doors that allow guests to open and close off their spacesEach suite features a large mural inspired by the 15th-century Japanese artwork Pine Trees by Hasegawa Tōhaku.
      Pairs of pivoting louvre doors with backlit rice-paper panels can be angled by guests to open up or contain the spaces within their rooms.
      A minimalist colour and material palette is used throughout the hotelThese doors envelop the bathrooms, which are fitted with free-standing oval bathtubs, marble rain showers and twin vanities.
      All of the guest rooms and residences also have a working fireplace to help occupants feel cosy.
      The pivoting doors wrap around the suite bathrooms, which include freestanding tubsHotel guest amenities include a 20-metre swimming pool on the 10th floor, a fitness centre, and a 650-square-metre outdoor terrace that can be covered with a retractable glass roof.
      An atrium on level 14 hosts a series of giant paper and bamboo sculptures by Peter Gentenaar that float between four stone columns.
      Double vanities are also provided in the bathroomsOf the two restaurants within the building, Italian-influenced Arva is arranged around a central open kitchen and surrounded by floor-to-ceiling wine cabinets.
      Meanwhile, Nama serves traditional Japanese cuisine and features a hinoki wood counter for omakase-style dining, as well as staggered ceilings and pendant lights influenced by the work of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright.
      Asian influences seen in the decor and artwork nod to the Aman brand’s rootsThe Aman Spa is open to the public and is spread over three storeys and 2,300 square metres.
      “Active spaces including the pool and fitness centre feature light timbers and grey tones, while passive spaces where treatments are enjoyed at the very core of the building are more nurturing, with curves and warmer hues,” said the Aman Resorts team.

      Yabu Pushelberg designs The Times Square Edition as “ultimate counterpoint to its surroundings”

      Founded by Indonesian hotelier Adrian Zecha in 1988, the Swiss-headquartered company operates 34 properties in 20 countries.
      All are known for offering privacy and seclusion, and each is designed as a unique experience that pays homage to its location.
      The Aman Spa is open to the public and includes a retail spaceOthers in the portfolio include Amanyangyun near Shanghai, which was created by moving an area of threatened historic houses and forest 800 kilometres, and Aman Kyoto, named Hotel of the Year at the AHEAD Asia 2021 awards.
      The Aman New York joins myriad hotels in Midtown Manhattan, with high-end options including the Edition Times Square, and more affordable alternatives like the AC Hotel and Moxy Times Square.

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      Olson Kundig's New York office includes a timber cityscape table

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      Earthy tones and a wooden table in the shape of a cityscape feature in the Olson Kundig’s first New York office, which was designed with sensitivity to the 100-year-old building it occupies.

      Located in Midtown Manhattan, the office is spread across the 10th floor of a mid-rise tower constructed in 1923.
      The office features a central living room with a sculptural tableOlson Kundig – a studio with its primary offices in Seattle – created the interior to be its first New York City hub with a material and colour palette that responded to the building’s 100-year-old history.
      The open-plan office is defined by a central “living room” that features a 144-square-foot (13-square-metre) wooden table on wheels with a statement geometric cityscape.
      The cityscape was informed by the office’s New York locationCreated from raw timber offcuts, the table is divided into quarters for different configurations. It was designed by studio principal Tom Kundig and fabricated by Spearhead.

      “The design was the result of a conversation Alan [Maskin] and I had about our teacher, [the late architect] Astra Zarina, and our fond memories of gathering around the table at her home in the centre of Rome,” Kundig told Dezeen.
      “She always had a big pile of candles in the centre of the table, similar to the abstract masses at the centre of our table.”
      “We want to foster the same spirit of conversation and sharing between colleagues and collaborators in this new office space, so it was a natural place to draw inspiration.”
      An unenclosed kitchen is also located adjacent to the stationsA series of wooden workstations are arranged across the open-plan office, while conference rooms feature around its perimeter. An open kitchen is also located adjacent to the stations.
      Platforms are positioned above the workstations offering a display area for sculptures and models. According to the studio, this continues its tradition of integrating art into everyday life.

      Steel mesh wraps Nike’s LeBron James Innovation Center by Olson Kundig

      The office interior was designed to reflect its Manhattan location, rather than mirror the firm’s flagship office in Seattle, according to Kundig.
      “The existing shell of the office was largely concrete and glass. We added wood and warmer tones to soften the space, with natural materials to add texture and interest,” explained Alan Maskin, partner at the studio.
      Artwork is displayed around the officeA mixture of vintage and contemporary furniture was sourced locally from locations in Brooklyn and Tribeca.
      Like the Seattle office, the New York space will also host various art events, tying the otherwise-unique locations together.
      Wooden elements define the spaceOlson Kundig was founded in 2000. The firm has completed multiple international architecture projects including a beach house with louvred shutters in Sydney and a timber floating home in Seattle.
      Another practice that designed its own studio is Urselmann Interior, which created its office using only biodegradable and recycled materials.
      The photography is by Angela Hau.

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      Rockwell Group takes maximalist approach to Japanese design at Katsuya NYC restaurant

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      Elements of traditional Japanese architecture and design are combined and given a contemporary spin by New York studio Rockwell Group at this sushi restaurant in Manhattan.

      Katsuya is the latest restaurant of its name by chef Katsuya Uechi, following locations in Los Angeles, Miami and the Bahamas all serving sushi with a Californian twist.
      Katsuya serves Californian-influenced Japanese cuisine by chef Katsuya Uechi. This and top photos by Nikolas KoenigFor its interior, Rockwell Group looked to a variety of Japanese aesthetic traditions, and blended them together to create a theatrical experience.
      “The interior dining rooms take a maximalist approach to Japanese aesthetics, an entertaining departure from the contemporary minimalist vogue,” said the team.
      A long red-lacquered communal table occupies the centre of the dining room. Photo by Nikolas KoenigThe restaurant totals 6,890 square feet (640 square metres) and seats up to 305 diners. Guests enter past the sushi bar and lounge, which is set up for casual diners to enjoy light bites in view of the kitchen.

      In the main dining area, the space is divided into three sections by a pair arched openings and a series of translucent glass screens subtly printed with images of wagasa – Japanese umbrellas.
      Translucent screens divide up the hall-like spaceThe archways, shaped to reference torii and pagoda architecture, are trimmed with red lacquer and inlaid with square wooden tiles.
      Screens are suspended from a black powder-coated metal framework, reminiscent of kumiki wood joinery.
      Secluded banquettes are positioned towards the back. Photo by Emily AndrewsDominated by red, the central space has a long communal table, plus several two-tops and a trio of secluded banquettes towards the back.
      Small to medium-sized parties are accommodated in the section to the right, where the red tones are swapped for warm creams and the wagasa patterns appear again on the wallpaper.
      Several traditional Japanese wagara motifs decorate the wallsMore banquette niches are framed by curved ceilings, and decorated with other traditional wagara motifs and imagery of performers with fans.
      The final indoor dining area includes a variety of table sizes, as well as a robata grill – a specialty that the chef is “renowned for pioneering in the West” according to the team.
      A private dining room seats 10. Photo by Nikolas KoenigConcentric pendant lights by Allied Maker spotlight individual tables and booths throughout the restaurant.
      Meanwhile, the red-lacquered communal table is “illuminated by a custom chandelier with a lazily undulating form that appears like waves rendered in ink”.

      Rockwell Group models Casa Dani restaurant in New York on Andalusian patios

      A private dining room at the end of the hall-like restaurant features red-leather-backed chairs around a circular wooden table, which seats 10.
      In the warmer months, a terrace influenced by autumnal Japanese gardens will provide space for 98 guests outdoors.
      Screens are subtly printed with images of wagasa – Japanese umbrellasKatsuya opened in March 2022 as one of two full-service restaurants inside the Citizens food hall, located within the Manhattan West development between Hudson Yards and Penn Station.
      Rockwell Group was also responsible for the interior design of Citizens, as well as the other fine-dining option Casa Dani, which serves Andalusian cuisine in a setting to match.
      Allied Maker’s Concentric pendant lights are hung throughout the restaurantThe firm was founded by architect and designer David Rockwell in 1984, and is best known for hospitality projects, and production design for theatre and events.
      Its studios have recently collaborated with fellow designers Joyce Wang on the first Equinox Hotel, Yabu Pushelberg for the Moxy Chelsea hotel and Diller Scofidio + Renfro to build 15 Hudson Yards and The Shed – all in New York City.
      The photography is courtesy of Katsuya, unless stated otherwise.

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