This commission marks BMA’s return to the US market after successfully delivering a diverse bank of projects between 1997 to 2003 comprising restaurants, a healthcare facility and wellness centres. The assignment involves the exhaustive overhaul and rechristening of the Hotel on Rivington whose gleaming aluminium and glass presence towers above LES’s bohemian low-rises. Aesthetically, the renovated and renamed The Favor at Rivington follows the mantra of understated elegance, scripting a narrative that is both upbeat and urbane. Bespoke, well-crafted details and interior accessories — floor coverings, lighting fixtures, art, furniture — bearing a chic mid-century New York aesthetic create a nuanced and immersive environment to draw in a sophisticated, affluent audience that frequents some of New York’s best names in hospitality and entertainment situated in close proximity to the hotel.

The spatial hero, however, remains the fantastic New York skyline: One World Trade Center on one side, the Empire State Building on the other and the parts of the midtown in the centre. Indeed, the dark, walnut-floored guest rooms and suites celebrate this vantage point through their floor-to-ceiling glass facades and large terraces (in suites) that function as extensions for outdoor gatherings.

A design move that underscores and extols the panoramic views are the transparent glass study tables installed against the windows. The strategy creates a sense of levitation, a poised-in-midair feel that allows a better and uninterrupted contemplation of New York’s illuminated skyline. Lighting in the private guest spaces has been treated with special attention wherein bespoke details such as alabaster bedside lights and other elements create an edgy, moody environment.