PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Retreat explores the idea of a new brand of wellness hotels. Launching their first location in New York City, The Retreat is meant to be a place of rest and rejuvenation. The Retreat's proposed location is at 405 West 13th Street in the Meatpacking District of New York City, NY. The property is on the site of the Gaansevort Market Historic District and is in walking distance to the Hudson River, the High Line, and more. The hotel has eight floors, including a cellar and rooftop.
Select features of The Retreat include a full-service restaurant and bar, two floors of gym space, a guest lounge and outdoor patio, 14 guest rooms, two floors of spa space, and a rooftop with a wading pool, lounge seating and hot/cold plunge tubs. Public areas and private guest rooms are extremely thought-out in order to take up the largest available space for each function. Guest rooms are large in comparison to a typical city hotel. Suites are even larger and include a living area separate from the bedroom, as well as private outdoor space for two fourth floor suites. The gym and spa each take up part of two floors and are connected by a central circulation stair to promote activity. This stair takes guests from the lobby entry through to the sixth floor spa. The rooftop is highlighted by a central wading pool, which is located directly above the circulation stair and filters light through to the floor below. The Retreat is 40,000 square feet of the ultimate wellness environment.
SITE INFORMATION
BUILDING DETAILS
CONCEPT
The design concept is inspired by Japanese principles of design related to nature and overall well-being - ideas that are greatly needed in American cities today. This is achieved through a study of space, material, attention to sources of natural light, and the use of linear forms. Circulation is central in this environment; the main stair is intentionally placed for guests to easily flow between the main activity areas, promoting health. A natural feel is brought into the hotel by the use of materials that are calming and neutral in tone. Interest is added through texture and form, such as the plaster finished walls, which give off a rough yet organic touch. The lobby entrance and lounge embody an immediate calming feel. The restaurant is highlighted by a sweeping spiral stair made of copper, which extends along the ceiling above the bar. Guest rooms make use of contrasting wood tones. In the gym, materials become more industrial, which is the one aspect of the hotel that truly represents the urban city feel.
DESIGN DEVELOPMENT
LOBBY CEILING DESIGN
CIRCULATION STAIR
CUSTOM BANQUETTE SEATING
RESTAURANT CEILING CONCEPT
GUEST ROOM LAYOUT
LINEAR BAR CONCEPT
RESTAURANT STAIR CONCEPT
FIRST FLOOR
The first floor of the hotel consists of the entrance vestibule, reception desk, lounge, and circulation to floors above or the restaurant & bar below. The reception is meant to feel like a calming arrival space for guests. The lobby lounge features a custom L-shape banquette and double-sided fireplace.
FIRST FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
LOBBY & LOUNGE
RECEPTION DESK
VIEW TO LOUNGE
VIEW IN LOUNGE
VIEW TO RECEPTION
VIEW TO RESTAURANT
VIEW DOWN TO RESTAURANT
CIRCULATION STAIR RUNNING THROUGH BUILDING
CELLAR
The cellar consists of the restaurant, bar, and back of house. The restaurant ceiling sweeps down from the floor above to meet the banquettes. The spiral stair is made of a copper metal, which sweeps down and covers the ceiling above the bar. Above the bar, there is a glowing light fixture which lands directly below the hotel's main circulation stair. Behind the bar, guests can find restrooms. The cellar also includes back of house spaces such as the kitchen, staff lounge, administrative offices, and additional back of house space.
CELLAR FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
RESTAURANT & BAR
OVERALL VIEW FROM LEFT
VIEW FROM BAR
BAR
SECOND FLOOR
On the second floor vestibule landing, guests can enter left to the gym, or right to the guest hall. The gym is two stories and guests can access the third floor of the gym easily through the main circulation stair. Guest rooms on floors two and three have four rooms each. These are the first level of guest rooms, that only slightly vary in size.
SECOND FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
HALLWAY TO GUEST ROOMS
VIEW DOWN GUEST HALL
VIEW TO GUEST ROOMS
GUEST ROOM
HALLWAY UPON ENTRY
DOUBLE QUEEN BED GUEST ROOM
VIEW TO SHOWER
VANITY VIEW
GYM
GYM ENTRY FROM ELEVATOR VESTIBULE
GYM ENTRY
VIEW TO RECEPTION
VIEW OF GYM
STRETCHING AREA
CARDIO AREA
FREE WEIGHTS AREA
TOWELS & WATER
THIRD FLOOR
The layout of the third floor is similar to the second; however, here, the gym becomes two private fitness studios with an extra free weights & stretching area. The layout of the guest rooms are the same on this floor.
THIRD FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
VIEW OF THIRD FLOOR GYM
VIEW OUTSIDE STUDIOS
VIEW OF FREE WEIGHT & STRETCHING AREA
PILATES STUDIO
YOGA STUDIO
FOURTH FLOOR
The fourth floor is where the guest rooms become suites. There are two suites on each floor from floors four through six. The suites on the fourth floor have their own private outdoor balconies. This floor also features a guest lounge with its own outdoor balcony. Windows on the fourth through sixth floors become curtain walls.
FOURTH FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
HALLWAY TO GUEST SUITES
GUEST SUITE
VIEW OF LIVING AREA
VIEW UPON ENTRY
VIEW TO TV & BEDROOM
VIEW INTO BEDROOM
VIEW TOWARD BATHROOM
VIEW TO TV & CLOSET
VIEW OF BATHROOM
VANITY
VIEW TO SHOWER
GUEST LOUNGE
VIEW OF LOUNGE SPACE
CAFE BAR
LOUNGE SEATING
FIFTH FLOOR
The fifth floor's suites have the same layout as below. The fifth floor features a spa with calming finishes, treatment rooms and saunas. The reception to the spa is located in the entry vestibule as to ensure it is the most calming environment once inside.
FIFTH FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
SPA
ENTRY VESTIBULE TO SPA
SAUNA
TREATMENT ROOM
TREATMENT ROOM
SIXTH FLOOR
The sixth floor also has two suites and the second floor of the spa. The layout of the spa is identical to the floor below; however, it features a cryotherapy room and steam room. Here, the circulation stair meets the wading pool on the roof. The 1'-0" deep wading pool is held up by thick glass and glistens down into the spa below.
SIXTH FLOOR FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
VIEW TO WADING POOL ABOVE
ROOFTOP
The rooftop features a central wading pool, meant to be a shallow pool mainly to add interest to the space. There are chaise lounges with umbrellas at the front of the roof, with two hot/cold tubs between. The back of the roof features covered lounge seating.
ROOFTOP FLOOR PLAN & REFLECTED CEILING PLAN
WADING POOL
VIEW OF TUBS
VIEW OF CHAISE LOUNGES & TUBS
COVERED LOUNGE
COVERED LOUNGE
BUILDING SECTION
SECTION THROUGH BUILDING