11 Howard, New York
11 Howard, in New York’s SoHo district, opened last year to much enthusiasm. Rightly so – with a sophisticated Scandinavian vibe bolstered with some in-your-face New York grit. Or as they call it ‘Danish minimalism meets New York realism’…
11 Howard’s guiding principle is conscious hospitality. The hotel’s location, design, and operations have been created with conscious… awareness, purpose, and thoughtful consideration. In the ‘60s and ’70s, the SoHo neighborhood was an epicenter of contemporary art. The hotel is attuned to this creative spirit and the responsibility to ensure it’s longevity and draws on this heritage for the form and function of the property. This consciousness reaches beyond the property to the community, with the hotel giving back wherever possible. In fact, when guests book directly with 11 Howard, they donate a portion of the Global Poverty Project.
Once a post office building, 11 Howard has been completely renovated by local architectural practice Beyer Blinder Belle, with an interior envisioned by the hotel’s creative director, Anda Andrei, in collaboration with Danish design firm Space Copenhagen. Enter the wildly proportioned oak-clad lobby featuring bespoke furniture and centered with a black mobile art piece suspended from the 15ft ceiling and it’s evident this downtown darling is worth the hype. A black steel spiral staircase with a leather banister beckons to the bar and library. To our great delight, the foyer is also home to Studio Oliver Gustav, the first outpost of the Danish interior designer’s Copenhagen studio.
The signature restaurant, Le Coucou, a project with acclaimed Stephen Starr was conceived by Roman and Williams to contrast with the clean lines of the newly remodeled hotel with raw exposed brick walls and pewtered-steel custom chandeliers.
The considered art curation include contemporary artists such as Dan Attoe who produced the imposing animated mixed media piece mounted to the ceiling above the staircase; Taiwanese artist Katie Yang, who created ceramic sculptures for all the 221 rooms; prints by Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto which adorn the library; and of course the mobile in the lobby by American sculptor Alexander Calder. Perhaps the best example of the conscious hospitality principle is a project where Jeff Koons mentored youths from the local social change group Groundswell to paint a mural on the outside of the hotel.
The bedrooms are a much more serene affair, with a subdued colour palette and sparse bespoke furnishings that offer a welcome respite to bolder themes of the common areas. All feature beds, desks and armoires designed by Space Copenhagen and Andrei and handcrafted in Denmark in collaboration with brands such as Gubi, Mads Raaschou and &Tradition.
The carefully curated and conscious 11 Howard feels so very now but is also clearly destined to be a classic New York address.
11 Howard Street
New York, NY 10013
+1 212 235 1111
Credits: 11 Howard, Wallpaper
Photography: Connie Zhou
