The Nolitan
30 Kenmare St.
New York
Tel: 212.925.2555
Designer: Grzywinski + Pons

Located on the corner of Kenmare and Elizabeth streets, the Nolitan hotel is a new presence among the old row houses and industrial garages of its namesake neighborhood. The New York-based architecture firm Grzywinski + Pons took up the challenge of working within the project’s tight parameters. “We wanted to obey the proportions of the pre-existing building stock, but not construct a fake facsimile of the 100 to 200 year-old surroundings,” said principal Matthew Grzywinski. In the 3,850 square foot trapezoidal lot, the architects created several volumes, wrapping them in a cohesive facade made of a terracotta rain screen and low-iron channel glass. The play of shape and shadow continues indoors, where an intimate atrium gives way to a sunken lobby and double-height mezzanine. Natural light bathes the lounge’s European oak floors and cognac leather banquettes, creating a perfect reading nook for the lounge library, a wall of books curated by Phaidon. Mirrors embedded in the bookshelves reflect the city streets through the glazed glass wall. Oak flooring continues into ellabess, the hotel’s restaurant, which also features a white Carrera marble bar. Upstairs, guestrooms outfitted with neutral wood furniture and exposed bathrooms are illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows. Maximum light exposure is the running theme throughout the hotel, especially on top: a 2,400 square-foot rooftop deck offers views of downtown, midtown, and Brooklyn.