Project of the Week: A New York Condo Building With Hotel-Like Features
Charlie West is a 16-story luxury condo building with a mix of hotel-like features as well as luxe interiors of a custom home.
The only new ground-up residential development in New York City’s Hell’s Kitchen neighborhood, the project features an exterior designed by ODA Architects and interiors by Andres Escobar of Lemay + Escobar Architecture DPC.
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Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
In designing the building, ODA separated the building into two distinct volumes to create an elegant courtyard and weaves in the characteristics of the neighborhood’s past—brick—combined with the luxury and modernism of present-day Hell’s Kitchen, the firm says. The brick façade integrates with the surrounding buildings, while articulation of the façade introduces a distinguishing sculptural element of depth and style.
While original plans called for two stand-alone buildings, the ODA team was able to create one holistic living experience by way of a uniquely designed bike storage room. By integrating a connecting path between the buildings with a 44-foot-long glass enclosed bike room, ODA was able to centralize the amenities and create a more spacious environment for residents without doubling up on lobbies, mailrooms, and elevator banks.
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Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
“The bike room in the courtyard area between the two buildings acts as a connecting corridor, which allowed us to create one unifying development, rather than two separate towers,” says Christian Bailey, principal at ODA. “By creatively working within the constraints of the zoning laws, we were able to maximize common areas and recreational spaces that knit the building together to allow for a more communal and connected lifestyle.”
Charlie West features a dramatic double-height, hotel-style lobby draws owners and visitors into the industrial chic-designed interior space that serves as a curated library and a private residential lounge anchored by a grand fireplace. The welcoming area is framed by its diagonal beams, a structural necessity the designers maximized and made into a defining feature, the company says.
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Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
Escobar and his design team infused the neighborhood’s DNA throughout the project’s spacious amenities and curated an industrial yet modern and inviting interior design for the lounge, pool and gym, as well as the 120 residences using natural materials and luxurious textures.
"The interiors at Charlie West transport you to another place and exude a relaxed vibe, with a very sophisticated palate,” says Escobar, senior partner and design principal at his eponymous firm. “From the moment you step into the lounge-like lobby, with its sumptuous natural materials and dark urban tones, to the scenic pool with its serene spa-like feel, one could easily feel as though they are in a boutique hotel in Miami rather than a luxury condominium in Hell's Kitchen."
Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
The units feature Thermador and Bosch appliances, TOTO USA plumbing fixtures, Ciot stone, Scavolini USA kitchens, and Benjamin Moore paint, among others. Residents can enjoy various amenities including an indoor pool with open-air access, a 6,000-square-foot landscaped private courtyard, a contemporary children’s playroom, a state-of-the-art fitness center, and a translucent glass-enclosed “bike box” that reimagines typical bike storage as an innovative architectural centerpiece.
Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
Photo: Inessa Binenbaum
Photo: Inessa Binenbaum