ACA Brings The Algonquin Hotel into the 21st Century
April 14, 2005
NEW YORK, New York — With the re-renovation of New York's Algonquin Hotel, Alexandra Champalimaud has added another chapter to its legendary tale.
When the first renovation was completed in 1998 by Alexandra Champalimaud & Associates (ACA), it was the firm's breakout project in the U.S.
At that time, The Algonquin, a 12-story, 165-room hotel completed in 1902 by Goldwin Starrett, was as a property badly in need of repair.
"In 1997, this space featured gummy woodwork the color of badly "henna'd" hair, dented and dimpled brass lamps, plastic chairs and frayed carpets—after years of inattention," said Champalimaud, principal of the nearly 25-year old firm.
"Our task was to erase negative change…and add an edge. The Algonquin is not, has never been, a grand hotel. It is charming and cozy. It is full of personality. It had architectural problems. And, the $5 million budget was not large," she continued.
Famous for its literary past, the Algonquin was a hangout for some of the most popular celebrities of the early 20th century. Dubbed the "vicious circle," members included Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Heywoood Broun, Edna Ferber, Dorothy Parker, Harpo Marx, and the father of The New Yorker, Harold Ross.
"As a designer, my work is not to ignore those facts but be absorbed by these facts," said Champalimaud. She was faced with the challenge of designing around a property that many felt had an untouchable essence.
In 2004, the property required an entirely different approach. Rather than capturing the essence of the hotel, Champalimaud's job was to maintain it, yet ease it into the next millennium in a way that is both respectful to the hotel's history, and its guests.
"To be successful, the hotel had to again become an attractive destination at a moderate price for midtown Manhattan," she said. "We had done it once before and the question was, 'what are you going to do now?'"
This time around, the biggest challenge the team at ACA faced was the extremely fast-track schedule. Planning for the project began in January 2004 and the hotel had to be ready by end of August for New York City's Republican National Convention. To do this, the hotel was shut down in July and the team had 28 days to complete the renovation of the guestrooms, meeting spaces, lobby, restaurant and the Blue Bar.
One challenge the architectural firm faced was to make guestrooms that ranged from 200 to 220 square feet seem comparable to other modern day hotels.
"The Algonquin has incredible soul all of its own. It needed help in certain areas because parts were worn down—like the carpets, and lights were fading. The first element is to bring back a spark but make it still appropriate," said Champalimaud.
One of her principal goals was to provide tools so that The Algonquin could become a center of creativity. To do this, ACA introduced color and texture. Bedrooms have deep yellow and red design patterns, walls are off-white with black and white photographs, red trim and blue window seats. The desk seat is also in blue and the throw on the bed is a Scottish plaid.
"From this we get texture, pattern, and it is representative of where it should be," she said. "We've played up the heritage."
Her firm introduced a bit of fun in the heritage of the Algonquin's New Yorker cartoon wallpaper. Characters can be found on lampshades and shower curtains.
"They belong to the Algonquin. When you arrive, you don't feel like you are in any other place in the world."
To capitalize on the hotel's history, and bring it into the future, a long library table was added to the hotel's public space and custom furniture was designed for the guest rooms.
"We created a dynamic layout for new ideas that belong in the 21st century; those are not part of original design. The long library table, for example, sits guests on high stools and is set up for laptop use. The hotel's 165 guestrooms and suites feature business areas with high speed internet access and flat screen televisions," she explained.
In the lobby, guests can also find first-edition copies of the Vicious Circle's writings in newly-added bookcases.
The renovation also replaced worn-out soft goods for the Algonquin's 15 different room sizes. "We came up with concept colors and worked with various vendors including Valley Forge for the bed sheets, Templeton carpets in the guestrooms, Ulster carpet in the lobby, and Kravet did the shower curtains," she said.
Despite the changes, some things just had to remain. The red and brick limestone façade still stands behind the Algonquin's green canopy on 44th Street. And still a fixture in the lobby is the Algonquin's cat, in tribute to Matilda 1. Her bed even matches the décor.
When the first renovation was completed in 1998 by Alexandra Champalimaud & Associates (ACA), it was the firm's breakout project in the U.S.
At that time, The Algonquin, a 12-story, 165-room hotel completed in 1902 by Goldwin Starrett, was as a property badly in need of repair.
"In 1997, this space featured gummy woodwork the color of badly "henna'd" hair, dented and dimpled brass lamps, plastic chairs and frayed carpets—after years of inattention," said Champalimaud, principal of the nearly 25-year old firm.
"Our task was to erase negative change…and add an edge. The Algonquin is not, has never been, a grand hotel. It is charming and cozy. It is full of personality. It had architectural problems. And, the $5 million budget was not large," she continued.
Famous for its literary past, the Algonquin was a hangout for some of the most popular celebrities of the early 20th century. Dubbed the "vicious circle," members included Robert Benchley, Alexander Woollcott, Heywoood Broun, Edna Ferber, Dorothy Parker, Harpo Marx, and the father of The New Yorker, Harold Ross.
"As a designer, my work is not to ignore those facts but be absorbed by these facts," said Champalimaud. She was faced with the challenge of designing around a property that many felt had an untouchable essence.
In 2004, the property required an entirely different approach. Rather than capturing the essence of the hotel, Champalimaud's job was to maintain it, yet ease it into the next millennium in a way that is both respectful to the hotel's history, and its guests.
"To be successful, the hotel had to again become an attractive destination at a moderate price for midtown Manhattan," she said. "We had done it once before and the question was, 'what are you going to do now?'"
This time around, the biggest challenge the team at ACA faced was the extremely fast-track schedule. Planning for the project began in January 2004 and the hotel had to be ready by end of August for New York City's Republican National Convention. To do this, the hotel was shut down in July and the team had 28 days to complete the renovation of the guestrooms, meeting spaces, lobby, restaurant and the Blue Bar.
One challenge the architectural firm faced was to make guestrooms that ranged from 200 to 220 square feet seem comparable to other modern day hotels.
"The Algonquin has incredible soul all of its own. It needed help in certain areas because parts were worn down—like the carpets, and lights were fading. The first element is to bring back a spark but make it still appropriate," said Champalimaud.
One of her principal goals was to provide tools so that The Algonquin could become a center of creativity. To do this, ACA introduced color and texture. Bedrooms have deep yellow and red design patterns, walls are off-white with black and white photographs, red trim and blue window seats. The desk seat is also in blue and the throw on the bed is a Scottish plaid.
"From this we get texture, pattern, and it is representative of where it should be," she said. "We've played up the heritage."
Her firm introduced a bit of fun in the heritage of the Algonquin's New Yorker cartoon wallpaper. Characters can be found on lampshades and shower curtains.
"They belong to the Algonquin. When you arrive, you don't feel like you are in any other place in the world."
To capitalize on the hotel's history, and bring it into the future, a long library table was added to the hotel's public space and custom furniture was designed for the guest rooms.
"We created a dynamic layout for new ideas that belong in the 21st century; those are not part of original design. The long library table, for example, sits guests on high stools and is set up for laptop use. The hotel's 165 guestrooms and suites feature business areas with high speed internet access and flat screen televisions," she explained.
In the lobby, guests can also find first-edition copies of the Vicious Circle's writings in newly-added bookcases.
The renovation also replaced worn-out soft goods for the Algonquin's 15 different room sizes. "We came up with concept colors and worked with various vendors including Valley Forge for the bed sheets, Templeton carpets in the guestrooms, Ulster carpet in the lobby, and Kravet did the shower curtains," she said.
Despite the changes, some things just had to remain. The red and brick limestone façade still stands behind the Algonquin's green canopy on 44th Street. And still a fixture in the lobby is the Algonquin's cat, in tribute to Matilda 1. Her bed even matches the décor.
