Hotel @ The Lafayette has installed two new sidewalk canopies – one for the front hotel entrance and one for the entrance of Mike A’s Steakhouse. I spoke to developer Rocco Termini about the additions and he told me that there were similar canopies on the hotel back in the day. “We want to dress up the outside of the hotel so that it looks like a big city,” Rocco added.
The black ‘welcome mats’ are extremely eye-catching and offer protection from the elements for anyone who might be waiting for a friend or for a cab. They also point out exactly where to enter the building considering that many people have not been to the hotel before and are unaware as how to access the building since there are multiple doorways.
When I was in NYC recently I took note of how many buildings utilized the sidewalk canopies to draw attention to their businesses. We’ve also seen instances, such as this, where awnings can detract from a building. In general, awnings do more good than bad, especially when they are made with the right materials and have colors that compliment the facade of the building.