Virgin Hotels and owner/developer Lam Group have revealed building designs for their first project together in New York City. Located on the southeast corner of 30th Street and Broadway in the NoMad neighbourhood, Virgin Hotels New York is expected to open in 2017. — Source: Virgin Hotels

NEW YORK September 25, 2015 — Today, the Virgin Hotel New York breaks ground in the NoMad neighborhood of New York City.
Located on the southwest corner of 30th Street and Broadway the 39-story, 500,000 SF tower is expected to open in 2018.
VOA, the architect and interior designer, has been working closely with owner/developer the Lam Group and Virgin Hotels to create a dynamic new lifestyle hotel concept that will become an exciting destination for both travelers and locals.
Appealing to both the leisure and business traveler, the 465-key hotel will include approximately 30,000 SF of amenities: banquet, meeting, conference and open workspace located in the cellar, multiple food and beverage outlets on the lower tower floors, rooftop skybar, expansive outdoor terraces, pool and spa, complemented by 90,000 SF of retail.
Architectural Design Virgin's commitment to creating a new "lifestyle" hotel product required VOA to consider how their program should inform the architectural solution.
The overall design is a selectively sculpted tower over a three level podium, maximizing the open-air program and providing ample amenity floor.
"The design of the tower was conceived from the inside out, taking cues from the hotel room guest floors. Efficiently cellular in nature, the tower originally dictated a simple building form.
Deconstruction of this otherwise simple tower was achieved through selective massing being removed and reapplied to create a more interesting form and offer more corner rooms and greater views", said Brian McFarland, a Principal of VOA and the lead architectural designer on the hotel.
Both plan and structure also informed the expression of the façade. Major structural elements are located strategically along perimeter zones where daylighting was not required.
Further accentuating the design is the tower cladding; a colossal scale mosaic of differing embossed stainless steel panels which visually elongate the building vertically, making it appear more slender.
Extruding the reflective glazed areas out between the metal solids creates a reading of crystalline cubic solids emphasizing the three dominant hotel exposures.
VOA Architecture NY Managing Principal, Len Cerame states, "The Virgin Hotel New York's distinctive look is sure to play a key role in the NOMAD neighborhood's transformation process."
The breadth of the Broadway frontage – designed as a continuous surface of glass storefronts – will feature premier retailers.
Upon completion the Virgin Hotel will take its place as the northern anchor of Nomad. It will bridge the gap between southern Madison Square Park and the Flatiron district to Herald Square.
With the comprehensive food and beverage offerings and large retail component, The Virgin Hotel will drive increased foot traffic and further invigorate this transforming neighborhood.

About VOA:

VOA Architecture, PLLC is a global architecture and interior design firm that blends the capabilities of a multinational company with the care and attention of a boutique studio. VOA hospitality environments elevate the guest experience, aligning guest desires with inspired solutions that foster relaxation, personal connections, and memorable experiences. Our project teams of hospitality experts create designs that bring long-term value to project stakeholders, reflecting their project vision and goals and communicating a consistent brand message, in addition to being functional, efficient and beautiful. VOA is consistently ranked as one of the top 20 design firms by Hotel and Management Magazine, Hospitality Design and Interior Design magazine's Hospitality Giants list. www.voa.com

About Virgin Hotels

Virgin Hotels is a luxury lifestyle hospitality brand that combines heartfelt service and a personalized hotel experience inspired by the innovation and smart disruption that Sir Richard Branson's global Virgin Group has pioneered for over 50 years. Each property intermixes a passion for food and beverage with music, design, and culture, fusing with the local landscape and providing a vibrant and inclusive environment for travelers and locals alike. The current portfolio includes five hotels—Virgin Hotels Chicago, Virgin Hotels Dallas, Virgin Hotels Nashville, Virgin Hotels New Orleans, Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, and newly launched Virgin Hotels Edinburgh. Locations in Glasgow and New York City are scheduled to debut in 2023, followed by Miami and Denver in 2025 as well as the launch of Virgin Residences. In addition, Virgin Hotels continues to explore hotel, conversions, and ground-up development in Boston, Los Angeles, Austin, Philadelphia, Seattle, London, and more.

About Virgin Limited Edition

Virgin Limited Edition is an award-winning collection of unique retreats, chosen for their beautiful locations and magnificent surroundings; each offers a sense of fun, style, luxury, and exceptional personal service. The group includes Necker Island and Moskito Island in the Caribbean's British Virgin Islands, Ulusaba Private Game Reserve in South Africa, Kasbah Tamadot in Morocco, The Lodge in Verbier, Mahali Mzuri, a tented safari camp in Kenya, Mont Rochelle Hotel and Mountain Vineyard in South Africa, and the Son Bunyola Estate in Mallorca. Please visit www.virginlimitededition.com for more details.

Margaux Jaffa
Business Development Director VOA Architecture
212.352.5160
Virgin Hotels