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SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

United Kingdom Architecture News - May 31, 2015 - 13:03   21501 views

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

View looking southwest at dusk. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Left to right: Residences entrance, hotel entrance, and restaurant entrance. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

Baccarat Hotel & Residences is a 605-foot-tall, mixed-use building located on 53rd Street between 5th and 6th Avenue in New York City. SOM was tasked with designing a destination that embodied the elegance and artistry of Baccarat, the luxury crystal brand founded by King Louis XV more than 250 years ago. Like a honed piece of exquisite glassware, the tower distinguishes itself within its surroundings through its formal restraint and focus on detail.

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Hotel entrance. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

From the exterior, Baccarat Hotel & Residences is a study in contrast. The tower’s east and west elevations—the main structural components of the tower—are sheathed in faceted, jet black aluminum panels, referencing the austerity and minimalism of its neighbor, Edward Durell Stone’s landmark MoMA building. Like a geode, these solid, matte surfaces frame the dazzling, reflective north and south façades. Clad with crystal-clear glass, these surfaces evoke Baccarat’s long history of decorative arts. With varying light and sky conditions, these large glazed expanses appear organic and lively.

The play of light and material continues at ground level. The tower’s podium is composed of prismatic glass fins arranged in rhythmic, vertical configuration. Throughout the day, these fins reflect one another, creating a dynamic interplay of light and color. Three canopied bronze portals are cut into this surface, providing separate entrances to the residences, hotel, and restaurant. At night, illuminated from within, the podium glows like a chandelier.

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Hotel lobby. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

Within, the 50-story structure contains three distinct programmatic elements that are stacked vertically above one other: a public library, located on the ground floor and one level below, a 9-story luxury hotel within the tower’s podium, and condominiums above on floors 18-49. 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

The Petit Salon, located on the second floor. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

Paris-based Gilles & Boissier designed the hotel’s 114 guestrooms and suites, and Ingrao Inc. served as the interior designer for the 60 residences. Rooms throughout Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York command outstanding views of Manhattan landmarks including Central Park and the Empire State Building. Beyond the aesthetic benefits, the floor-to-ceiling glass provides abundant natural light, reducing the need for artificial fixtures. Both guests and residents have access to the Bar, Grand Salon, Chevalier Restuarant, and the first Spa de La Mer, all located within the tower’s podium.

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

View looking southwest. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

Enrique Norten and TEN Arquitectos served as the designers for the reimagined 28,000-square-foot 53rd Street Library, a branch of the New York Public Library housed within Baccarat’s base. The library is accessed by its own entrance on the eastern corner of the building. Working with each of these designers, SOM has shaped a building that accommodates an incredibly diverse program while reflecting the exacting standards and attention to detail of Baccarat. 

The distinctive black-and-glass tower introduces a new scale for the brand’s legacy of precious, handcrafted crystal work. Inspired by this illustrious history, SOM has designed a landmark building that allows Baccarat to shimmer at the scale of the city. 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Tower crown. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Corner of east facade and north curtainwall. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Residences lobby. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

View looking south at dusk. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

View looking south. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

View looking south, with the Empire State Building and SOM’s One World Trade Center visible beyond. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

View down 53rd Street, looking east. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

SOM’s Baccarat Hotel & Residences hits luxury design in New York

Second-floor bar. Image courtesy SOM / © Albert Vecerka/ESTO 

Project Details

Client: Starwood Capital Group Baccarat Hotels & Resorts + Tribeca Associates LLC 

Architect: Skidmore, Owings & Merrill LLP (SOM)

Construction Manager: Tishman Construction Corporation 

Structural Engineer: WSP Cantor Seinuk

MEP Engineer: Cosentini Associates

Hotel Interior Architect of Record: Woods Bagot 

Hotel Interior Design: Gilles & Boissier

Residential Interior Layouts: SLCE Architects

Residential Interior Design: Ingrao Inc.

Library Interior Architect: TEN Arquitectos

Lighting Designer: Isometrics, Wald Studio

Vertical Transportation: Van Deusen & Associates 

Telecom/Security/Acousitcs/IT: Michael Raiser Associates, Inc. 

Geotechnical: Langan Engineering 

Facade Maintenance: Lerch Bates

Wind Tunnel Testing: Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory 

Hardware: Ingersoll Rand

Acoustics: Shen Milsom & Wilke

Building Maintenance: Lerch Bates

Landscape: Harrison Green

Expeditor: Jerome S. Gillman Consulting

Food Service: Clevenger Frable LaVallee 

Pools: Joel Trace Architects 

Fireplace: Jansons Associates, Inc. 

Signage & Wayfinding: Lebowitz Gould Design 

Energy Consultants: Viridian 

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