It is only fitting that a crowdfunded hotel slated for New York City has a crowdsourced design as well. For its new, extended-stay hotel at 17 John Street, developer Prodigy Network, along with design blog PSFK, launched the Prodigy Design Lab, which allowed designers from around the world to submit plans for the project’s interior spaces and digital services. After 70 submissions were received and 10,000 votes cast, three winners have been announced.
“The winners of the 17John competition were intuitive to the needs of travelers, creative in the interactive spaces and understood the function of extended stay residences,” Rodrigo Nino, the founder and CEO of Prodigy Network, said in a statement. “This will be one of many design competitions presented to the crowd and we look forward to empowering those with the greatest ideas.” These three plans, which were selected by a jury from the ten finalists, represent three categories: private space, communal space, and digital experience.
The winning private space design, “Weco, The Nomad Company” by Vianney Lacotte creates a live-work environment with space for entertaining and storage. For public space, “Hub” creates a wood-paneled reception area, fitness center, rooftop terrace, and communal workspace that looks like just about any startup company. And the “Deeply Integrated Services for the New Type of Hotel” proposal is an app meant to to better connect a guest with the hotel.
Playing up the project’s cooperative nature, the developer described this project as the “World’s First Cotel,” which is designed to “to meet the changing needs of the modern business traveler and through its innovative design will foster wellness, connectivity and efficiency.” The $31 million Cotel will transform an existing 1920’s apartment building with a multi-story glass addition designed by Winka Dubbeldam. According to Prodigy’s website, “accredited investors can purchase REPs (Real Estate Participation) in 17John and buy into the project’s operating returns and equity appreciation. The REPs are being sold at $50,000 each.”
The project is expected to open in 2017.
Take a look at the winning designs below.
