January 03, 2008 -
Spotlights
Former residents Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio would feel right at home again at the Radisson Lexington Hotel thanks to the recent part-Hollywood, part-Jazz age glamorous renovation from local architecture firm Stonehill & Taylor. Bold colors and sensual materials mingle throughout the property, bringing the hotel back to its 1920s heyday.
At first, the project started out solely as a guestroom and suite renovation. But once Stonehill & Taylor were commissioned for the job, the project became a complete redesign of not only the guestroom and suites, but also the lobby, bar, fitness center, and all public spaces—a more than two-year endeavor.
"Contributing on all phases of the project has been a great advantage in terms of design," said Laura Plasberg, senior interior designer for Stonehill & Taylor. "It has given us the opportunity to create a natural continuity between all spaces, which is evident in the color scheme, textures, and materials."
In the lobby and bar, the design team honored the hotel's original Art Deco style, but added modern touches. The space's pièce de résistance stands center-stage behind the original wood reception desk: backlit red and amber glass tiles surround the oversized existing polished chrome clock. Done by glass artist Paul Housberg of Glass Project in Jamestown, Rhode Island, they are handcrafted and formed by fused cut glass strips installed on a backlit glass wall.
The same fashionable feel continues upstairs in the hotel's 600 guestrooms and suites, which received all new furnishings, carpeting, wall coverings, doors, and accessories.