Rockwell Group, an award-winning architecture and design firm, was responsible for the interior of New York’s new Moxy East Village Hotel. Stood opposite the famous New York nightclub Webster Hall and a few blocks from NYU (New York University), this new hotel is a breath of fresh air in this already vibrant neighbourhood.
Rockwell Group’s design concept is based on New York's rich urban patina, in which several ‘layers’ of different eras coexist. The interior of Moxy East Village also has this urban look, combined with various art installations by renowned contemporary artists. Each floor reveals a different layer in the neighbourhood’s narrative, to conjure up memories of the city and create a sense of discovery in guests.
The design concept is based on New York’s rich urban patina, in which several ‘layers’ of different eras coexist.
The design concept is based on New York’s rich urban patina, in which several ‘layers’ of different eras coexist.
The façade and the entrance of the hotel are highlighted by materials that refer to the industrial features of the neighbourhood, while the public areas have a bold and raw look, inspired by the art and music scene. Artistic tables, graphic wall hangings, unusual lifts, fun staircases are some of the original elements that inhabit the communal areas. In the Little Sister Bar & Lounge, lighting plays a major role; in the Cathédrale Restaurant the atmosphere is inspired by the legendary Fillmore East Concert Hall; the Alphabet Bar & Café is highlighted by punk inspiration of East Village from the 1970s and 1980s; the Alphabet Lounge reveals an eclectic mood, evoking a transition in time; the Rooftop Bar celebrates the culture and energy of the surrounding university neighbourhood. The rooms represent a period of transition, where new and old merge, and have an eclectic, improvised appearance, with the emphasis on materiality. Their four-poster beds, with built-in TV, create an environment within an environment. And outside is New York, buzzing, emitting echoes from many periods, eras and cultures.
