Hell's Kitchen | New York
How far does one have to ascend to reach the horizon?
A hotel is the regulator of connectivity between isolation and integration within the city layers. One will lose the connection to the horizon through the dense nature of the city which include the organized but chaotic Manhattan blocks along with the subterranean transit system. To Re-establish the connection back to the horizon one must disconnect from the ground and ascend through the accumulated facades of surrounding buildings in order to reach the holistic view of Manhattan. A casino acts as a social mediator between economic levels. The isolated nature of the casino provides detachment from Manhattan, temporarily. Observation zones were coupled with the casino at different elevations to allow for unrestricted connection back to the city. Through exposing an onlooker to the different layers of Manhattan’s as they move up in elevation leads to the discovery of the horizon from multiple perspectives. In the observation zones there is also an unfiltered connection to the street, city facade, and urban skyline of New York. The connection back to the street provides a sense of grounding, while the accumulation of surrounding building facades act as screen for a complete connection to the far-reaching horizon.