Four Seasons Hotel

The 54-story tower occupies a through-block site in an exclusive part of Midtown, responding to local zoning codes with setbacks up to the cruciform crown. Evoking a time when going to a hotel was a memorable occasion, the design places less emphasis on the efficiencies of checking in and out than on the pleasures of the luxury hotel experience. To this end, the guestrooms have the feel of apartments, and public areas are designed around personal service and discreet ceremony.

Clad in French Magny limestone, the tower becomes one with New York, which remains a masonry city despite its many glass skyscrapers. The hotel has a unique skyline presence, as distinctly wrought lanterns at each setback add a festive note distinct from Midtown office buildings.

Surrounding the grand foyer is a terraced salon that invites New Yorkers and travelers alike to socialize over tea, drinks, or dinner. Conveying an air of both magnificence and intimacy, it is a place to see and be seen, a gracious stage for urban theater.