The Twenty Two New York

The transformation of 16 East 16th Street, on the edge of Union Square Park, involves ambitious restoration work and a substantial expansion of the 6-story R. H. Robertson-designed YWCA dormitory from 1891 into a new 9-story boutique 80,000 sf hotel and private club. Our restoration work for this project comes in two forms: 1) a faithful re-creation of the carved sandstone ground floor masonry, entirely removed in the 1950’s, and 2) a leap-of-faith “restoration/interpretation” of Robertson’s original design for a never-realized gabled 7th floor as a contemporary glass curtain wall and masonry screen utilizing ultra-high strength concrete. The screen, while evoking the detailing and depth of the historic ornamentation of the existing façade, also offers dramatic views from the interiors while concealing a 3-story addition.

Our collaboration with the ultra-high performance concrete manufacturer involves ongoing full-scale mock-ups of the lacy masonry screen and the engineering of its accompanying steel armature. Constraints and opportunities of the UHPC inform the dimensions of the apertures and layers of the screen. To invoke RH Robertson’s use of stone and brick in the existing building, we are experimenting with levels of stain in the fabrication process.

Behind the historic façade, the new hotel will extend further into the unusually deep site yet retain key portions of the historic masonry walls and offer guests a sense of both renewal within, and reverence for, the Ladies’ Mile historic district. In addition to a 72-key hotel, the property will include a members’ lounge, multiple restaurants, bars, and roof terraces.