PROJECT REPORT: HOTELS, RESTAURANTS & BARS 31
assumed the brightly coloured building facades were made of plastic. “We had to show them a close-up of the bricks – to prove that our design was not that unsustainable!”
Although its composition reflects the local built vernacular, Radio.181’s height and variety of bright colours, while achieving the client’s brief of being bold, means it still makes a substantial architectural statement in the area. However at the same time, this very mixed composition – “the diversity, scale, window patterns, facade material, the diversity in all of these elements – already existed in Washington Heights,” says Bron.
Programme The client’s decision to provide the varied range of facilities within was made as an attempt to resolve a number of challenges within the local community. Each section has been carefully placed to optimise its functionality, and thereby provide locals and visitors with truly valuable amenities. The red, purple and turquoise blocks facing south towards West 180th Street and Amsterdam Avenue houses the hotel. Serving the high demand for temporary accommodation in Washington Heights, MVRDV’s hotel design incorporates 212 rooms, plus a restaurant, a bar, and a courtyard space. Inside, the hotel’s compact floorplans contain typical double-loaded corridors, but the overarching sentiment of the interior aims to be a less standard, more boutique offer, “to provide a more informal, festive, and diverse atmosphere compared with typical offerings in more southern parts of Manhattan,” says Van Gemert. The buildings’ facade colours have been replicated in their interiors, reinforcing the separate identities of each of the functions. On entering the hotel on the ground
floor, which also boasts “a very colourful mix,” both users of the building and neighbourhood residents can walk through to a courtyard space, where they can enjoy a coffee and the community garden. Also at ground floor level is the project’s 8,345 ft2
of retail space, – providing an
“active street level” on both 181st Street and Amsterdam Avenue. “Having an engaging street presence is the essence of Radio.181,” says Van Gemert. Adding a variety of retail on 181st street, already a thriving corridor in the Washington Heights neighbourhood – will “attract young professionals who value convenience and a relaxing shopping experience.”
ADF MAY 2022
The yellow, orange and grey blocks facing north at West 181st Street serve the office floors. This section comprises 20 floors and 167,000 square feet of Class A office space. Bron asserts that the extra commercial space will “enable local businesses to scale up and take their next steps.” The interior offers flexible floor plates with 12 to 19 feet ceiling heights, and great views of Manhattan. To achieve a high level of security and efficiency, the office will be served by a dedicated entrance and lobby. On floor 12 sits the long, flat blue block which connects both the hotel and office and houses an event space which is accessed via the hotel. This space, connecting to a terrace offering further panoramic views, will provide “flexible food and beverage possibilities” as well as a leisure programme for the neighbourhood. Also, it will provide a space for locals to host weddings and other events. This is just one of many ways Radio.181 adds an amenity that did not previously exist in Washington Heights.
Details
Designing the building with such an irregular assemblage of forms didn’t come without its challenges. For example, says Fedor Bron, “The location of the vertical cores, with the stairs and elevators, was tricky to make the composition work, as they need to serve all the differently shaped blocks in a functional manner.” Overarching this, ensuring the building provided health and comfort to its occupants was fundamental in the design. For example, designing the office floorplates to be “relatively small,” allowed workspaces to be filled with daylight throughout the day. Another way the design contributed to the wellbeing of the building’s users was that the architects made sure each of the blocks has its own accessible, dedicated outdoor terrace, or terraces. The architects assert that Radio.181 also represents a scheme that is a marked contrast with other new buildings for commercial clients in the key area of energy efficiency, thanks to its brick materiality: “As we opted for a brick- based facade, we are much more energy efficient in comparison to other new developments.” With the client having a projected opening date for this vibrant new addition to the area of this summer, both they and the architects are anticipating a positive response from the community, and beyond. g
PROMINENCE
The new mixed-use tower sits at a prominent location, overlooking Manhattan and the Washington Bridge
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