Backstage Hotel Times Square

Location: Times Square, New York, NY

Size: 600 rooms

Type: Hospitality

Status: Under Construction

Structural Engineer: WSP

Mechanical Engineer: SJC Engineering

Lighting Design: Tirschwell & Co

Landscape Design: HM White

This 600 room hotel in the middle of the theater district in NYC is designed to offer guests the feeling of being part of a theater production. The name, ‘Backstage Hotel’, is felt through the entire space starting with the reception area as a ticket booth, the curtains at the bar and the metal grids in the ceiling to house the theater lighting. Even the guest rooms resemble a dressing room with a backstage feel. Every detail has a theater reference and all the materials are drawn from the backstage of a theater: plywood, concrete, stage lighting, and catwalks.

The hotel also offers several amenities including an open theater with informal seating, a bar and café area connected to a food market, multipurpose rooms for events, and an internal garden with an expansive green wall. Because this new hotel concept was being introduced into an existing building, knowing all the ins and outs of the existing conditions was key in the design process, which was done with the aid of 3D scanning software. This allows for precise knowledge of existing building conditions and helps with both accuracy and efficiency, allowing more time to be devoted to the thoughtful design.