As with the travelers and seekers of the original Freehand concept, the Freehand brand has taken the long route around the nation, touching points south, north, and west before returning east to the island of its inception: Manhattan. The larger brand vision, led by Roman and Williams in creative collaboration with the Sydell Group, is manifest with the fourth location of the Freehand hotel, celebrating the spirit of communal culture and alternative and fresh interpretations of hospitality. Building off of the three previous locations designed by Roman and Williams, Miami, Chicago, and Los Angeles, the Manhattan flagship establishes the Freehand spirit of inversion and irreverence by taking the long route home.
The original George Washington Hotel, built in 1928, emerged at a time of rapid growth and tumult in US history, and the Freehand hotel that will now inhabit it takes both literal and figurative design cues from its new home as a comfortable, affordable hotel located centrally in New York City with easy access to the arts and industries that established New York at the forefront of global innovation. Original ideas from the past are captured, distilled, and new concepts and manifestations are layered on and injected, in the embrace of cross-cultural dialogue.
Throughout the Public Spaces of the hotel, artistic interventions, if not invasions, are celebrated. In collaboration with the Bard Live Arts Program at Bard College,
the work of emergent and refreshing artists adorns walls and corridors both in the public realm and in the private. The Guestrooms represent the continued evolution of the new and unique room types, beyond even the initial concept of the shared Freehand room. Layouts and furniture simultaneously speak to the universal experience of a more communal way of sharing spaces, balanced with the intent to provide privacy and reprieve. Compact, but comfortable. Like Freehands before, the room is defined by Roman and Williams’ well-conceived seating, carefully placed lighting, familiar natural materials and solid construction methods, all offset by an inspiring and striking palette of materials and colors.
The entry to the hotel is the first space to speak to the combination of old and new. Existing historic millwork is lovingly restored to its original repose, while a new mural by Bard College graduates set against this historic architectural backdrop injects new energy into the space. Upstairs, at the George Washington Bar, original mahogany millwork, portraiture of the hotel’s eponymous namesake, and a warming fireplace are respected and re-purposed. Lively flame stitch upholstery on the sofas and brass hardware and metal accents highlight the otherwise moody atmosphere created by the darker color scheme. The Roof and supporting food & beverage-minded spaces will be culturally programmed and operated by Bar Lab, who are responsible for the success and excitement of the Broken Shaker at previous Freehand locations.