The day to night transition is purposefully emphasised. We were inspired by the symbolism, so our design concept for the hotel celebrates transitions and transformations – from day to night and from active to restful. Autumn is a time to turn inward, to slow down, and to rest, whereas spring is a time for rebirth, growth, and regeneration. The autumnal and vernal equinoxes also signify the beginning of fall and spring.
When we started to research the project, we did a lot of thinking around the term ‘equinox,’ an event when daytime and night-time are approximately equal in duration. What was the starting point for the design?
Rockwell Group partner Greg Keffer led the Equinox Hotel Hudson Yards project. Here we speak to the designers of the interior spaces about how they approached the project. In CLADmag earlier this year ( Q2 2019) we spoke to SOM partner David Childs about the inspiration behind the 92-storey building’s architecture. The public spaces, also designed by Rockwell Group, are welcoming and glamorous, with materials including walnut, stone, resin, metal and leather, Zaha Hadid sofas in the Sky Lobby, and a huge and quite beautiful Jaume Plensa sculpture on the edge of the terrace’s infinity edge pool. They offer spectacular views across the city, and feature “ultimate sleep chambers” with soundproofing, blackout shades and an exclusive bed system. The hotel, meanwhile, features 212 “cool, dark and quiet” guest rooms and suites designed by Rockwell Group to act as a respite from the city. The design for the spa and gym were inspired by “human flow and athleticism in its purity,” as well as the rawness of the railroads that lie beneath the hotel, according to Wang. Designed by Joyce Wang, the 60,000sq ft club features a 27,000sq ft “performance-driven spa,” 25-yard indoor salt water pool, hot and cold plunge pools, an outdoor leisure pool, a SoulCycle facility and a terrace restaurant. What this means at Equinox Hotel Hudson Yards is a hotel with Equinox’s largest ever health club at its heart. We’re here to help you stay committed to that, rather than get off your schedule.” Our hotels are a continuation of what we offer in the clubs. They’re aimed at someone who’s on the road and feels guilty about not working out, rather than someone who’s truly into fitness and is trying to continue their lifestyle. “Lots of hotel brands have a fitness component to their hotel, but what they’re offering isn’t really rooted in a good understanding of fitness. So what makes an Equinox Hotel different from any other hotel? “It’s the way we incorporate the fitness and wellness into the hotels,” Richter told me. Further hotels have been confirmed for Los Angeles, Santa Clara, CA, Seattle, Chicago and Houston, and several other sites are under development. Equinox Hotel Hudson Yards is the first, housed in a building designed by SOM with interiors by Joyce Wang and David Rockwell.
#EQUINOX HUDSON YARDS SPA SERIES#
Now Equinox have entered the hotel market, with a planned series of properties that put movement, fitness and regeneration at their heart.
#EQUINOX HUDSON YARDS SPA MOVIE#
Each of their clubs is very different – the Bond Street club in New York has been designed to evoke the feel of an artist’s loft, while the Union Street club in San Francisco is housed in an old movie theatre, and maintains the original marquee, stage, columns and 1920s mural.
The brand takes interesting buildings and creates beautiful high end spaces that take their cues from the local neighbourhood. Things are changing in the health club market, but it’s not been a sector that traditionally put a lot of emphasis on design. “You want to get that ‘Oh!’ moment.”Įquinox have been creating design-led upmarket gyms and fitness clubs since 1991, and they’ve been hugely successful. “I tell our architects that I want people to walk into our spaces and feel a bit like they’re in a temple – not in a religious way but in a spiritual way,” he told me. Four years ago, I interviewed Aaron Richter, design director at Equinox, about the brand’s approach to designing health clubs and the plans for the first Equinox Hotel – which opened in Hudson Yards, New York in July.
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