MERA HABASHI
Architecture & Design
Independent Project 1 |
Mera Habashi
Conceptual Phase
Process Studies
Final Design Proposal
Architectural Visualizations
Chelsea Boutique Hotel
Located at the intersection of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the High Line, and the Hudson River waterfront, the Chelsea Boutique Hotel reimagines the relationship between architecture, landscape, and public space. The project combines a boutique hotel, Michelin-star restaurant, café, retail spaces, and public gardens into a single urban destination that operates as both a cultural landmark and a connective piece of city infrastructure.
The design extends the pedestrian experience of the High Line to street level while creating new pathways that link the waterfront, Little Island, and the surrounding urban fabric. Rather than functioning as an isolated building, the project acts as a network of interconnected spaces that encourage exploration, gathering, and visual engagement with the city.
A central landscape courtyard serves as the organizing element of the project, bringing natural light, vegetation, and seasonal change into the heart of the development. Public programs activate the lower levels and create a continuous relationship between interior and exterior spaces, while the hotel accommodations above provide privacy, panoramic views of the Hudson River, and a unique connection to the surrounding cityscape.
The project explores architecture as an extension of its context—responding to the movement patterns, cultural identity, and layered public spaces that define Chelsea. By integrating hospitality, landscape, and urban circulation, the proposal transforms a prominent waterfront site into a vibrant destination that enhances both the visitor experience and the public life of the city.
Located at the intersection of Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood, the High Line, and the Hudson River waterfront, the Chelsea Boutique Hotel reimagines the relationship between architecture, landscape, and public space. The project combines a boutique hotel, Michelin-star restaurant, café, retail spaces, and public gardens into a single urban destination that operates as both a cultural landmark and a connective piece of city infrastructure.
The design extends the pedestrian experience of the High Line to street level while creating new pathways that link the waterfront, Little Island, and the surrounding urban fabric. Rather than functioning as an isolated building, the project acts as a network of interconnected spaces that encourage exploration, gathering, and visual engagement with the city.
A central landscape courtyard serves as the organizing element of the project, bringing natural light, vegetation, and seasonal change into the heart of the development. Public programs activate the lower levels and create a continuous relationship between interior and exterior spaces, while the hotel accommodations above provide privacy, panoramic views of the Hudson River, and a unique connection to the surrounding cityscape.
The project explores architecture as an extension of its context—responding to the movement patterns, cultural identity, and layered public spaces that define Chelsea. By integrating hospitality, landscape, and urban circulation, the proposal transforms a prominent waterfront site into a vibrant destination that enhances both the visitor experience and the public life of the city.