The renovation of the original property heralded the rise of the boutique hotel in New York City. By rearranging the internal functions of the building and using subtle, refined detailing, PKSB imbued the former Art Deco hotel with a snappy, urbane spirit and a quiet, intimate ambience. Based on that success the owners decided to increase the number of guestrooms by incorporating an adjacent building, and to expand the cramped ground-floor spaces to accommodate a room for private functions and a restaurant. At the same time the design encourages an interplay of social interaction and interior space that changes with use, lighting, and time of day. On the exterior, a new limestone façade unifies the two buildings visually and a canopy over the restaurant complements the entrance to the lobby defined by a tilted steel and glass marquee. Inside, a sweeping reorganization of the first floor resulted in an open, contiguous space that allows guests to move effortlessly through the entire hotel. High-quality materials such as cast resin, steel, and glass blend with elegant furnishings, decorative touches and display lighting to create a series of intimate and constantly changing environments. Extending the restaurant into the garden enabled the addition of a unique environment for special events that features a new skylight and a wall of textured glass. The newly renovated guestrooms maintain the understated tranquility of the hotel. Thin doors of glass and steel introduce a luminosity that is balanced by the bright, mirrored surfaces of the bathrooms. Ultrasuede walls and ceilings envelop the beds which incorporate oversized images of flora by noted photographer Sandy Feldman that are recessed in the headboards. Custom-designed cabinetry affords maximum space and efficiency in the well-appointed quarters.