The notoriously busy JFK airport is set to get a touch of glamour this summer. A mid-20th century Jet Age relic, TWA Flight Center — which was rendered obsolete but never torn down — is being refurbished into a luxury hotel, reminiscent of the ’60s. Originally designed by Finnish-American architect Eero Saarinen, known for his neo-futuristic style, the terminal-turned-hotel will feature six restaurant and eight bars, including celebrity chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s Paris Café.
“It captures the moment in time, architecture and the golden age of air travel, when people used to dress up to fly,” says Fred Dixon, President and CEO, NYC & Company, over a cup of coffee at Mumbai’s Soho House on a balmy afternoon. Come May 15, the TWA Hotel will be open for guests, with 512 guest rooms that feature vintage interiors (midcentury modern Knoll furnishings) and noise-cancelling glass curtain walls.
The Shed
Looking to stepwells
This summer is significant for the Big Apple, for more reasons than one. Alongside the month-long Pride celebrations in June, the city will witness the opening of various luxury spaces across its five boroughs, from dining to hotels to retail. Many much-anticipated projects are concentrated in the metropolis’ shiny new neighbourhood, Hudson Yards, touted to be the largest private real estate development space in the history of the US. “In excess of $25 billion in investments are coming to this one project,” Dixon reveals. In this part-commercial, part-residential space, high-end fitness brand Equinox is opening its first hotel in June. It has also attracted a number of celebrity chefs like Thomas Keller, David Chang and José Andrés to open their new outlets.
The central attraction, however, is two large-scale art projects, The Shed and the newly-opened Vessel. Designed by British architects Heatherwick Studio, the latter is a 15-storey structure featuring 154 interconnected flights of stairs. “It’s got an India connection, since the inside is modelled after step wells,” says Dixon. The Shed, on the other hand, is a centre for performing and visual arts, which will open in April. Calling it a “building on wheels that can be expanded and opened up on demand”, Dixon says the opening performances will be a series of original mash-ups, including a collaboration between filmmaker Steve McQueen and record producer Quincy Jones.
NYC & Company CEO Fred Dixon
Times Square indulgence
Outside Hudson Yards, traditionally touristy areas like Lower Manhattan is witnessing an explosion of luxury dining, hotel and retail experientials. There’s the much-anticipated arrival of Milan’s pioneering concept store, 10 Corso Como, a medley of art, clothing, music, design and food; Jean-Georges Vongerichten’s 50,000 sq ft food market, located in the restored Tin Building; a new bar and grill concept by Momofuku Group’s David Chang and Malibu Farm, all slated to open in 2019.
“Times Square is also getting a taste of luxury after quite some time,” shares Dixon. Ian Schrager’s 452-room Edition launched this month with high-end restaurants developed by chef John Fraser and a modern cabaret bar. Midtown Manhattan will also see two new properties by Portuguese hotel group Pestana launching this summer, and architect Jean-Michel Gathy’s highly-anticipated uber-luxury brand, Aman New York, is opening its doors in 2020.
50 years of StonewallThis year is significant for NYC’s queer population. In the wee hours of June 28, 1969, members of the queer community locked horns with the police in a series of violent demonstrations, which today is referred to as the Stonewall Uprising. In many ways, the spontaneous riots form the bedrock of the queer rights movement in the US. Five decades on, the annual NYC Pride will mark the golden jubilee of the uprising, with the city coming together to celebrate the ‘Year of Pride’ and host WorldPride for the first time. “We took the mantle from Madrid in 2017 so for many this is Pride coming home,” grins Dixon. Pride-related events and exhibitions are at the centre of NYC & Company’s latest global marketing campaign, 2019: A Monumental Year. “All arts and culture institutes are laying on unique, bespoke exhibitions to celebrate the 50 years of struggle for equal rights,” he says. “The year of Pride really kicked-off in November [last year] with [Andy] Warhol’s retrospective at the Whitney Museum of American Art. It is an intimate look on his life and particularly his influence on other LGBT artists.” The Met Gala this May will also pay homage to queer style and aesthetics with its theme, Camp: Notes on Fashion. |
