Ace Hotel Brooklyn, Roman and Williams third outpost with the Ace Hotel brand, first and foremost draws on the geographical and cultural history of the Boerum Hill neighborhood in Brooklyn. Initially settled by Dutch transplants, waves of immigrants over the years have left their mark on this borough, creating one of the country’s most fertile localities.
In recent history, Brooklyn has become famous for its trendy small-batch, American made items, and Ace Brooklyn was created to harmonize (and occasionally dissonate) with those ideals. While Brooklyn experiences a reconnection to American culture and the neighborhood’s roots, Ace Brooklyn aims to establish a similar commitment and promises a solid, lasting confidence in its design.
Set on a slightly overlooked street corner, the building itself designed by Roman and Williams, is constructed from board-formed concrete, giving it a disciplined expression of gravity. Divided windows maintain a traditional sense of rhythm and scale that is unpretentious yet handsome and elegant.
The main lobby acts as a public square and is an extension of the street life surrounding the building; it creates a hub of activity inviting to both guests and locals alike. It is a place of community, creativity and commerce. The use of art, patterns, and contours both in the interior and architecture creates a contrast and contradiction which fosters an artistic spirit. Primitive modernism was a governing principal for Roman and Williams throughout this design. Inspired by the tradition of exposed structural concrete that is found throughout, accented with White Oak wood flooring and Douglas fir panels. The use of these rudimentary, even humble materials evoke a sense of the workspace, the studio, and the spirit of working closely together towards a shared goal. The pure and muscular vocabulary of design sets the tone for openness and sharing, strong values of both the Roman and Williams and Ace brands. Community spaces on the second level are an extension of the spirit of the lobby, and custom Roman and Williams designed light fixtures are featured throughout all of the spaces.
The color palette is earthly and elemental, letting the purity of the material define the vision with tones of brown, olive and wine. Their fundamentals lie in their rootedness and longevity and convey a warm, rich feeling – welcoming yet cordial. These tones establish a low frequency background hum, allowing the space to be inspired by more dynamic and sublime expressions. The use of natural materials, as well as the methods of construction, plays off of the color palette and reflects the humanity and sustainability of the space.
The restaurant and Living Room Bar create another area to gather, with bites and beverages as creative as the spaces. A garden with a sawtooth skylight and perforated steel beams brings levity and the outside in. Fireplaces with murals by Stan Bitter frame both the Living Room and the Garden.
In the guest rooms, windows with divided lights frame the view and give guests a sense of protection and calm. The furniture is carefully curated and creature comforts abound, with each room featuring small collections of magazines, convenient surfaces to work at a laptop, and a guitar or turntable. Warm lighting highlights the building from the street, giving it a magnetic and inviting quality, and creates a soft ambiance within. As in the lobby, Douglas fir paneling continues in the guest rooms, and deep green cork flooring gives the rooms a cozy, down-to-earth feel. Cement tile in the bathrooms keeps things utilitarian yet quintessentially industrial Brooklyn.
This hotel presents an opportunity to reconnect to a special era when the city was at its most ambitious moment, marrying that past with the current confidence and optimism that has made Brooklyn a cultural leader with endless possibility. The Ace Brooklyn creates a spirited venue for travelers and locals alike, a perfect complement to the never stop philosophy of Ace creator Alex Calderwood.