The King’s Arms is a members-only hotel and clubhouse that caters to a multicultural, explorative and affluent group of people who live, work, or travel in New York and are looking for a respite from the city. The King's Arms is located in New York's Chelsea neighborhood, near the High Line, an elevated public park that snakes through the area. Chelsea is the city's center for art galleries and sophisticated nightlife, but in the King's Arms I created a space that allows members to escape—to connect with one another, but also to experience the space in a private capacity.

Given that the notions of private and public are somewhat fluid within this environment, I decided to focus on the dynamic between them. In order to enhance the experience of moving through different levels and the combination of public and private areas, I have employed the opposition of dark and light and the layering of different planes and openings to create frames and moments when wanderers can catch glimpses of other spaces.

The experience of the space is enhanced by the use of sumptuous materials, such as marble, bronze, blackened steel, walnut, oak, hammered brass, linen, silk velvet, and travertine. Materiality continues to be especially important in the King's Arms guest rooms, which are enriched with tactile materials such as antiqued oak parquet floors, woven leather and cashmere.

Faculty for the project: Kevin Estrada & Cary Ng

Given that the notions of private and public are somewhat fluid within this environment, I decided to focus on the dynamic between them. In order to enhance the experience of moving through different levels and the combination of public and private areas, I have employed the opposition of dark and light and the layering of different planes and openings to create frames and moments when wanderers can catch glimpses of other spaces.
The experience of the space is enhanced by the use of sumptuous materials, such as marble, bronze, blackened steel, walnut, oak, hammered brass, linen, silk velvet, and travertine. Materiality continues to be especially important in the King's Arms guest rooms, which are enriched with tactile materials such as antiqued oak parquet floors, woven leather and cashmere.

Faculty for the project: Kevin Estrada & Cary Ng