Helpern Architects
An Accidental History
Holiday Card Tradition
Soho Grand Hotels
The SoHo Grand was the first major hotel to open in this previously industrial area since the 1880s. The triple-height mezzanine lobby, Helpern's trademark over-scale windows, and penthouse suites with heart-stopping views north to midtown, instantly made the building "one of the most talked-about hotels in New York." Hotels Magazine named The SoHo Grand "Hotel of the Year" in 1997.
Authentic materials align the hotel with the SoHo district's cast-iron past. Because SoHo is designated a manufacturing district, and also because it lies in a flood plain, the hotel's main lobby had to be located on the second floor. The lobby's contiguous lounge, between the bar and the restaurant, functions as a generously-proportioned living room for both hotel guests and visitors.
A T-shaped footprint proved to be the most efficient solution for circulation and operational efficiency and also yielded the greatest number of rooms. A tower like many of the commercial buildings in the areas to the south and west, nonetheless the hotel sets back at the sixth floor to align with the scale of its low-rise neighbors.
401 Lafayette Street, 4th Floor, New York NY 10003 tel: 212 505 2025 info@helpern.com