This is the first episode in our HDTV video series, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into designing and developing a hotel.
The lush, ephemeral worlds of scenic and hospitality design combine at CIVILIAN Hotel, the theater-inspired New York property designed by local firm Rockwell Group just steps from iconic Broadway.
Opened in fall 2021, the 203-room property from visionary hotelier Jason Pomeranc of SIXTY Hotels fame, draws from beloved, long gone Theater District hangouts like Café Edison and Stage Door Canteen, as well as Rockwell Group founder David Rockwell’s own deep relationship with theater—as both a fan and designer of extravagant sets for hit shows from Hairspray to Kinky Boots.
“I always wanted to create a kind of ultimate watering hole in the Theater District, because there’s such a great history of places that bring the theater community together,” says Rockwell. Ultimately, the CIVILIAN offers fans a “chance to see the magic of these incredible temporal experiences in a permanent building.”
To celebrate the intoxicating allure of Broadway, Rockwell and his team grounded the hotel in its location via a three-story podium with a brick façade that references the surrounding cluster of theaters, the CIVILIAN’s “brothers and sisters,” as Rockwell puts it.
In the lobby, a marquee light installation paves the way to the forthcoming restaurant, which will star 41 light fixtures, each one representing a Broadway theater crafted by a different theater artist, the first 12 courtesy of Tony Walton. “I am in awe of going to the theater, which I’ve done since I was a kid,” says Rockwell. “You have these indelible memories, like a great meal in a restaurant.”
The glamorous curving reclaimed brick, wood, and metal staircase accented with dramatic curtains conjures thrilling backstage vibes. It leads to the second floor, the all-day lobby and adjacent balcony where breakfast and cocktails are savored amid eye-catching theater models “that pull back the camera,” points out Rockwell, allowing visitors to get a glimpse of productions through the eyes of a director.
Although the jewel-box guestrooms may have a compact footprint, “they are all pretty special,” adds Rockwell, whether it’s the reappearance of the curtain motif, this time above the headboard and complete with tassels, the light and airy bathrooms outfitted with penny tile, or the artworks that bring theater history to life.
They are part of the vast permanent and rotating 350-piece Olio Collection of sketches, photos, models, and custom furnishings by emerging and established theater creatives and Broadway photographers that Rockwell hopes will allow those contributors to “feel the sense of honor the hotel has, and I have, for their work to be a part of this ongoing story.”
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