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In the shadow of the giants rising at the World Trade Center complex in New York City is a 31-storey hotel that is gearing up to welcome guests. The Courtyard Marriott at 133 Greenwich Street in Lower Manhattan replaces a vacant lot across from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. Hidrock Properties purchased the prominent site in 2012, embarking on the development with partner Robert Finvarb Companies.
The developers retained Danny Forster Design Studio and Peter Poon Architects to create a building that is angled to maximize views of the World Trade Center site. The 317-room hotel boasts a sweeping terrace and bar on the 28th floor, where the cascading sounds of the two reflective pools across the street — which mark the former footprints of the Twin Towers — can be heard. Approximately 2,400 square feet of retail space will be provided at ground level.
Recent photos captured the building in its final stages of construction as the window wall cladding system appears fully installed. The opaque panelling that characterizes the south wall is a departure from the design of the World Trade Center towers, which counter the Courtyard Marriott's darker hues with a reflective and bright curtain wall facade.
A Marriott hotel had once operated at the World Trade Center site itself, wedged between the two towers which were destroyed on September 11, 2001. The hotel staff's quick evacuation of the building ensured the survival of all guests, though unfortunately, two associates perished in the attack. With construction wrapping up, the arrival of the new hotel at the perimeter of the World Trade Center complex symbolizes a somber return to a sensitive location for the international hospitality brand.
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