Martinique New York on Broadway, Curio Collection by Hilton (New York City, New York)

 hotel, high-rise, 1911_construction, Beaux-Arts (architecture)

200-foot, 16-story Beaux-Arts hotel fully completed in 1911. Designed by Henry J. Hardenbergh, it was built in three stages: in 1897-98, 1901-03, and 1909-11 - even though it was always intended to be one unified building at the end of the process. Developer William R. H. Martin, who had invested heavily in real estate in this area of the city, built and expanded the hotel in response to the growth of entertainment, shopping, and transportation activities in this busy midtown section. Despite having been created in three sections, the building maintains a harmonious street presence on all three facades.

The first section was on West 33rd Street; the 2nd section faced Broadway, and the final section fronted both Broadway and West 32nd Street. Filling an irregularly shaped lot, the facades are five bays wide on 33rd Street, six bays on Broadway, and nine on 32nd Street (which also houses the building's main entrance). Each of the facades is finished with the same materials and motifs. Set on a rusticated limestone base, the upper floors are faced in glazed white brick and terra-cotta. The mansard roof, a strong visual element on all three facades, has been re-clad in standing seam metal, painted green to imitate the original copper. Some copper trim remains around some of the dormer windows on the top of the building.

The West 32nd Street facade is symmetrically arranged with a slightly projecting center section, five bays wide. The facade is subdivided at the ground floor by a cornice and a balcony at the 5th floor, which concludes the base. The main part of the facade extends from the 5th through the 11th floors where a molding with a Greek key design sets off the traditional 12th & 13th floors. Above this, another balcony marks the final section, and a balustrade at the 15th floor dormer windows indicates the roof level.

The main entrance is three bays wide. It has a black marble surround and a wide marquee over the entry. Above the marquee is a narrow, original cornice with the words "HOTEL MARTINIQUE" - flanked by heraldic shields. The rest of the ground floor has various storefronts. Above the ground floor the slightly projecting center section is flanked by two bays at each side. The 2nd, 3rd & 4th floors are faced with rusticated stone (now painted) and are topped (at the 5th floor) by a balcony carried on heavy brackets, with a delicate iron railing. The windows of this base section are fronted by simple, individual iron railings. At the 3rd, 5th & 7th bays, the windows of the 2nd & 3rd floors are linked vertically by moldings which culminate in a lintel with a broken pediment and crest above the 3rd floor. The spandrels between these two floors are also decorated and broad moldings run horizontally across the facade at this spandrel line. The rest of the windows are undecorated at this spandrel line. The windows in each side section carry similar pedimented lintels with geometric decorations at the 2nd floor. The 4th-floor windows, under the balcony, are slightly smaller and are topped by voussoirs.

Floors 5-11 are faced with glazed brick set in a rusticated pattern. Each of the windows are framed with a broad, eared terra-cotta molding and a simple sill. The windows of the 5th floor are topped by a molded lintel with a centered volute. Within the center section, several windows are given added emphasis by balconettes, while the center window of the 6th floor is also flanked by shields and topped by a pediment with a shield. Above the Greek key molding, the walls of the 12th & 13th floors are ornamented by terra-cotta shells. The windows of the 13th floor are set on lager sills supported by volutes and have double keystones above them. The projecting balcony of the 14th floor is carried on large brackets with extend down between the windows, ending at a series of corbelled moldings. Above the unadorned window openings of the 14th floor is another cornice which support a stone balcony, composed of solid sections alternating with balusters in front of each window. Larger dormer windows project from the tall mansard at the 15th floor. They are supported by elongated volutes at each side and are capped by fanciful pediments, the top parts of which have been removed. A large, squared tower is located at the center of the mansard. Originally capped by cresting, it now serves as a base for a water tank. Two round windows are set near the top of the tower, while other round-headed dormer windows are located between the larger, squared dormers of the 15th floor.

The ornament and design features at West 32nd Street extend onto the Broadway facade as well. The corner is cut off, creating a single, separate bay which serves as a transition between the two sides, continuing all the motifs from one to the other. Of the six bays on this side, the three southernmost were added as part of the final construction phase and exhibit the wider spacing seen on 32nd Street. The three northern bays, in addition to having the windows more closely spaced, are also set off by a slight projection in the wall surface. The other differences include the addition of a pair of heraldic shields which are located between the three windows of the 6th floor and another tower in the mansard roof located over the northern, older section of this facade.

The 33rd Street facade, the oldest, established the ornamental pattern which was followed by the other two. The ground floor has been completely modernized but the upper floors maintain the same patterns and motifs seen on the other facades. Five bay wide, the central three bays project slightly above the 4th floor. A difference in this facade is that the central bay is wider and given more emphasis throughout the height of the building. All of the openings in the center bay are sealed. At the 6th floor the center bay is faced by a small balcony and topped by a broad entablature ornamented by cornucopias and a shield. The windows of the 2nd & 4th bays, on the 8th & 10th floors also have small balconies. A tower is located at the center of the mansard roof, with a large, projecting dormer window. This window is flanked by stone pilasters fronted by an iron railing. To each side are two, smaller, copper-trimmed dormers, each topped by a triangular pediment. Most of the roof is not visible from the street. The eastern wall is visible above the low neighboring building. It is faced in plain brick and not ornamented. WIndows line two small light courts, and two other bays have been sealed.

Originally a luxury hotel, the Martinique declined as the neighborhood changed until the 80's and 90's, when it was reduced to serving as a particularly notorious homeless shelter operated by the city. Because of this, the historic interiors are all gone, except for the original marble floor in the lobby. It was renovated and reopened as a Holiday Inn in 2003, and was converted to a Radisson in 2006. Large, vertical Radisson signboards are now attached to the west and south facades, from the 6th-8th floors. Besides the lobby, the ground floor is occupied by a Chase Bank branch, The Martinique Cafe, and Petit Poulet wine bar bistro.

www.hilton.com/en/hotels/nyccuqq-martinique-new-york-on...
s-media.nyc.gov/agencies/lpc/lp/1983.pdf
www.beyondthegildedage.com/2012/10/the-hotel-martinique...