Ace Hotel Brooklyn Opens, Designed by Stonehill Taylor & Roman and Williams.

The newly opened Ace Hotel is a love letter to Downtown Brooklyn. Standing on the cusp of Boerum Hill, the hotel sits at the ever-evolving geographical intersection of energies, from the tree-lined streets and brownstones of Cobble Hill and Carroll Gardens to the art and culture clusters of Fort Greene all the way down to the restless East River.

A 13-story construction in raw concrete, Ace Hotel Brooklyn was designed from the ground up by long-time Ace collaborators Roman and Williams and architect Stonehill Taylor. The unique facade welds seamlessly with interiors inspired by the raw artist studio spaces of the European modernists — with soothing and stylish custom furnishings outfitting every alcove.

Not a small undertaking, the property boasts 287 guest rooms, an expansive in-room art program, a public lobby with multiple bars and even an art gallery.

Made up of metal, glass and precast concrete elements, the building’s rough-edged façade celebrates the natural beauty of its materials, along with the rugged handiwork of the builders who brought them together. The facade’s dramatic centrepiece is a custom ceramic mural crafted by iconic modernist Stan Bitters, coupled with a sculptural light installation designed by Roman and Williams in homage to the Hotel Okura in Tokyo — a beacon of modernist hospitality designed by Yoshiro Taniguchi, which was sadly demolished in 2015.

Inside, interiors marry exposed concrete with other naturally textural elements — surfaces of douglas fir, oak, plywoods and leathers — to form organic, open shapes. The lobby features vintage and custom seating throughout, with half-moon windows illuminating the lobby bar in natural light. The bar is finished with an original wall sculpture from RW Guild artist Verdan Jakšic, and a discreet, large scale drawing by Tara Geer.

Drawing significant inspiration from Le Corbusier’s beloved workspace retreat Le Cabanon, the guest rooms at Ace Hotel Brooklyn were imagined as cabins of creative refuge: elegant and efficient, with the kind of breathing room that stirs up all sorts of possibilities. The furnishings are handcrafted from raw, understated materials — including custom sofas and chairs, classically-loomed cotton bedding and purpose-built, minimalist fixtures.

Artist Niki Tsukamoto head’s up the hotel’s in-room art program bringing together a dream-woven assortment of original textile and fibre pieces from roughly two dozen artists, many based in the borough.

Throughout the rest of 2021, The Gallery at Ace Hotel Brooklyn will showcase works by artists featured in the guest rooms, starting with a show of textile works by Cynthia Alberto and Weaving Hand.

Related: Ace Hotel Kyoto by Kengo Kuma and Commune. 

[Photography by Stephen Kent Johnson.]