The evolution of SoHo’s Howard Street from
a sleepy pocket of Manhattan to a bustling
hub of creativity owes much to 11 Howard
(W*206). This 221-room hotel, a haven of
restrained luxury within a former post office
building, is the result of a partnership
between Aby Rosen, owner of the Seagram
building, and Signe Bindslev Henriksen
and Peter Bundgaard Rützou, of Danish
firm Space Copenhagen.
Introduced by design consultant
Anda Andrei, the real estate magnate and
the designers got to know each other on
a grand tour of sorts. In Copenhagen, they
dined at all the celebrated restaurants Space
had worked on, among them the original
Noma and Geist. ‘I was immediately drawn
to them,’ he says. ‘There is good harmony
within their partnership.’ Back in New York,
he showed them around some of his favourite
spots, as well as his own home. ‘I wanted them
to understand how I live. It was an interesting
dialogue, and they got it pretty fast.’
The designers agreed with Rosen to follow
‘a simple, tactile and holistic approach’ for 11
Howard. Muted colours and a judicious use of
wood and leather are complemented by bold
gestures, such as a spiralling steel staircase.
‘Their design has longevity,’ says Rosen,
almost two years after the opening. ‘It looks
fresh, as if we did it yesterday.’
Both parties speak of their relationship
with unusual warmth. ‘Aby was charming,
incredibly sharp and engaged,’ say the duo.
‘He showed us a lot of trust and freedom.’
‘I think they have reinvented and brought
the freshness back to the Scandinavian look,’
enthuses Rosen, ‘and I would love to hire
them for my home.’ TF Chan
rfr.com; spacecph.dkFour first-rank hoteliers
and the designers
who work their roomsPHOTOGRAPHY: ADRIAN GAUTLobby groups
Aby Rosen and
Space CopenhagenTravel