Renderings via Holt Construction
An age of declining retail has forced brands to get creative to attract shoppers, but eyebrows still rose at Restoration Hardware’s idea when it was announced in summer 2015: In addition to a luxurious new flagship store at 9 Ninth Avenue, it is opening a 14-room boutique hotel just around the corner at 55 Gansevoort Street. The rooms and interiors will feature furnishings and fixtures from the upscale home furnisher, allowing guests to immerse themselves in the brand and even go home with their favorites following a short trip to the shop.
The Landmarks Preservation Commission approved the building’s redevelopment in March 2017, and work is now underway. This involves replacing the ground-floor infill, removing non-original fire escapes and an existing chimney, and constructing a new cornice to replace one that was lost before the Gansevoort Street Historic District’s designation. The existing awning will be replaced with a new corrugated wire glass awning. Moreover, a new sixth floor and mechanical floor above it will allow for two pools as well as trees, couches, and tables surrounded by a glass windscreen. Wormser & Associates Architect, which served as the architect of record for the flagship store and was also involved with Gansevoort Market, is listed as the designer.
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Looking down Gansevoort Street to the hotel building's Flatiron-like prow
The restored New England Biscute Works building now boasts a restored cornice and soon a new ground-floor canopy
The new hotel is taking shape in an especially vibrant section of the Meatpacking District. The Restoration Hardware flagship opened in the onetime home of New York institution Pastis, which reopened in nearby Gansevoort Row. Across the street, new public plazas opened over the summer and came to serve as informal gathering spots and event space alike.
The new hotel will have a ground-floor restaurant and sidewalk seating. And while the flagship store nearby has a rooftop restaurant and wine terrace, guests and residents alike can get their caffeine fix at the massive Starbucks Reserve New York Roastery a few blocks away at 61 Ninth Avenue, or any of the independent coffee shops on surrounding blocks. Just steps from the site, a contemporary single-family townhouse with views of the new hotel and the Meatpacking District is on the market for $17.9 million.
The new hotel will have a ground-floor restaurant and sidewalk seating. And while the flagship store nearby has a rooftop restaurant and wine terrace, guests and residents alike can get their caffeine fix at the massive Starbucks Reserve New York Roastery a few blocks away at 61 Ninth Avenue, or any of the independent coffee shops on surrounding blocks. Just steps from the site, a contemporary single-family townhouse with views of the new hotel and the Meatpacking District is on the market for $17.9 million.
Meatpacking District views as seen from 829 Greenwich Street via The Modlin Group
Gansevoort Plaza pictures circa August 2019 via CityRealty
Interestingly enough, Restoration Hardware has proven to be a trendsetter beyond the world of interior design. The first-ever Equinox Hotel is now open at 35 Hudson Yards. Elsewhere in the United States, West Elm has gotten in on the hospitality game with branded hotels in Savannah, Minneapolis, and Detroit.
Exterior of RH's Meatpacking District flagship. Courtesy of RH
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