Moxy Chelsea Hotel, New York
Rockwell Group unveils Moxy Chelsea; a stunning contemporary hotel located in the heart of New York's flower district.
Rockwell Group has designed the public and amenity spaces at Moxy Chelsea. Nestled amongst the hustle and bustle of Manhattan’s historic Flower District, the hotel’s restaurant, lounge and rooftop provide a luxurious escape into a world of luxury and comfort away from the city's busy streets, inspired by the beauty, vibrancy and diversity of the surrounding neighbourhood. Referencing the local flower market, the interiors combine layers of vibrant colours, materials, patterns and forms to create a dynamic and welcoming design. The result is a highly sophisticated and curated environment that embraces the demands of the modern-day traveller, multi-tasking worker and locals alike.
Located on the ground floor is the hotel's Italian restaurant 'Feroce' consisting of a series of beautifully curated rooms that lead to the outdoor terrace, a hidden oasis amongst the foliage for guests to wine, dine and socialise. Injecting a sense of playfulness and colour into the restaurant, collections of apothecary candy jars contain bold coloured Italian sweets, positioned on glass and brass shelving, alongside aperitif and digestif bottles that create an unexpected juxtaposition that sets the tone for the Moxy brand which runs through the entirety of the hotel.
The recessed Venetian plastered walls and an uplit barrel-vaulted ceiling have been refined by geometric light fixtures and detailing that transport guests to an early 20th Century Milan and Rome. The soft pastel colours of the oversized mosaic tile floor collide with the rich emerald and burgundy hues of the woodwork and leather upholstery respectively, adding depth to the interior as well as an inviting atmosphere.
The main dining room echoes many similar features to the cafe and bar areas but with a much darker style, introducing dark woods used in much of the furniture designs, ceiling detailing and flooring. Three arched recesses contain semi-circular booth seating with views out across the restaurant and into the adjacent dining courtyard. The oversized mosaic floor tiles are seen in the bar transfer into the surfaces of the tabletops in the form of a dark terrazzo finish. To further animate the room, Rockwell Group also designed bespoke grappa-tasting carts that can be moved throughout the space.
A sliding glass door leads to the private dining room, where the walls feature large-scale, deconstructed vintage Italian liquor posters behind antiqued mirrors. Ground floor restrooms have rich, emerald-painted walls and dark terrazzo; key design elements that connect the interiors of the restaurant.
The hotel's vintage Italian flair continues onto the second floor with the Moxy Lounge, a central hub for visitors and hotel guests. From the entry vestibule, guests ascend a grand concrete staircase, encased in tubular glass, arriving on the second floor. The lounge provides a space to socialise, eat, drink and even work, a dynamic social space allowing worlds to merge. To the right of the area is the Winter Garden boasting an impressive 20-foot-high living wall and remarkable views that look out onto the heart of New York's Flower District, spanning the width of the hotel. The bar is screened from the Winter Garden by a kinetic plane of tilting glass tiles that change the configuration. The burgundy upholstery of the lounge seating and large mosaic tiled flooring echo the style of the Feroce restaurant below, but the addition of concrete and glass create helps create an edgy and relaxed atmosphere, perfect for those looking to sit back and enjoy a cocktail or two.
With adaptability in mind, several smaller lounges transform their uses throughout the day. These versatile spaces offer private studio and working areas for business meetings and catchups, turning into social hang-outs during the evening hours. Fold-out tables, plush modular seating and adjustable screens transform their uses with ease and style. Selections of bold patterns and prints, sleek furniture design and contemporary accessories define personal characteristics within each of the interiors, the concrete fabric of the building providing a blank muted canvas for each of the designs to pop with striking patterns and accessories.
Wrapped in oversized graphics of botanicals, the entrance and staircase to the rooftop bar build up the drama and excitement of the hotel's crown jewel and must-visit destination.
The Fleur Room interiors are comprised of a lively palette of materials. Rough concrete and industrial windows are mixed with polished bronze, warm wall coverings and plush furnishings, merging industrial and chic styles. Subdued indirect lighting both reinforces the spectacular views and heightens the intimacy of the space, while inverted resin pyramids glow with embedded florals, referencing the surrounding Garden District.
Adjacent to the bar is an indoor/outdoor lounge wrapped in kinetic windows that transform the space into a sky veranda at the touch of a button. In contrast to the Fleur Room, the decor takes on a bolder approach, once again introducing emerald colouring onto the walls and ceiling, paired with elegant floral upholstery on the booth seating that surrounds the perimeter of the bar. Wooden floors give way to concrete tiles in black, white, and green that doubles up as a dance floor as the parties extend into the early hours of the morning. A large circular mirror hangs on the bar's back wall, framing the reflected views of the skyline, capturing the impressive lighting pendant from certain angles, connecting the interior and exterior spaces.
In a city renowned for its impressive collection of hotels, Moxy Chelsea manages to stand out with its elegant quirkiness and appreciation of its iconic location. In a city as vibrant and diverse as New York, Rockwell Group has gone above and beyond to make guests feel part of Manhattan's eccentricity and buzz within the surroundings of an ultra-contemporary and luxurious hotel.
