Petit Bateau
New York, New York
Petit Bateau is the oldest luxury children’s wear brand in France. WQB Architecture was retained by Petit Bateau to build their flagship image on Madison Avenue. Working closely with Petit Bateau management, WQB developed a fantasy environment where wealthy mothers and grandmas felt comfortable buying very expensive clothes for their “little darlings”. 8 stores were built in the United States.
China Central Place, known as the Hua Mao Zhong Xin, opened in 2007. The 1,000,000 m2 mixed use complex is located in Beijing’s CBD. Designed by the international architecture firm of Kohn Pedersen Fox Associates (KPF), the master plan includes residential, retail, two hotels operated by Ritz Carlton and JW Marriott, and the offices of 70 industry-leading multinationals, including Deutsche Bank. The site is located on Chang’an Boulevard, Beijing’s primary east-west axis. The architecture of China Central Place was designed by KPF as a striking composition of diagonally faceted glass volumes whose appearance is softened at the lowest five stories by terra cotta screens. Within the site, the component buildings define two major public parks of over two hectares each. OPC built up a team to manage sales, planning, customer service and research to position and assure adherence to the master plan and market suitability. In addition, it set up the successful sales systems, and participated in bringing on board.
This 2,000 acre resort development is located on Hainan Island, a relatively untouched province of China with an environment and ecology similar to Hawaii. The resort includes a Cultural and Religious zone centered around a new Buddhist Temple, Passive Scenery Zones weaving into hillsides, and more developed entertainment and resort areas at the waterfront and at the mountain tops. The project includes three hotels zones, with a total of 12,000 rooms available, six restaurant and shopping zones, a golf course and a marina.
A local development company, with King Deer, a national fashion company as their partner, has been selected to develop the first iconic commercial project in the newly relocated Central Business District (CBD) of Hohhot, the capital of Inner Mongolia. A design concept using faceted “crystals” was developed to reflect the local climate and the new economic culture related to coal and mineral resources. The project will be 4 million square feet and includes office buildings, a regional shopping/ entertainment mall, a 5 Star Hotel and Conference Center, 3 luxury residential towers and 3 levels of underground parking. The project is currently in the approval phase and is scheduled to start construction in the summer of 2012.
Central Parking 515 7th Avenue
Manhattan, NY
515 7th Avenue involved the remediation and recertification of a 360 car valet parking facility including the relocation of 72 car stacking lifts. It is a ramp accessed facility.
Sol Melia Hotel
141 West 43rd Street
New York, New York
Interactive Development Associates (IDA) and Karen Backus Associates (KBA) were selected by The Church of the Nazarene, Dream Hotels and Project Find to market the development rights (TDRs) for The Chatwal Hotel and The Woodstock Hotel in Times Square. WQB Architecture PLLC provided zoning analysis and design for the development of potential receiving sites in the immediate area. This illustrates a 290 room luxury Sol Melia Hotel at the Meyers Parking garage site which spans from West 44th to West 43rd Street.
Confucius Plaza was built in 1970 as a joint venture between NYS Educational Construction Fund, the NYC School Construction Authority, a developer and the local community to develop a new elementary school and a mixed use building which houses nearly 1000 families. Currently, many of the original tenants have “aged‐in‐place” and the Co‐op Management is exploring opportunities for servicing their senior population as well as bringing younger families to the property. WQB/IDA was hired to assist the management with analysis of residual development rights and exploring development opportunities such as a 240 bed, 150,000 sf senior living facility which can be connected to their original complex. The project is currently under review by the governmental agencies involved.
Although West 42nd Street is one of the busiest streets in Manhattan, the blocks west of Tenth Avenue were never rezoned from their historic status as a Manufacturing District related to the docks along the Hudson River. As new development moved through Times Square westerly to the Hudson new zoning was required to incentivize development in the area. A team was organized by the original owners of the block from Eleventh to Twelfth Avenue to negotiate with the City Planning Commission, Community Board 4, and various other agencies to change the area from a low density manufacturing district to a high rise mixed use community. IDA (with WQB Architecture) worked with Howard Zipser of Stadtmauer Bailkin LLP to change the zoning and subsequently with Newmark Realty to resell the property for development. The property was recently completed by the Moinian Group and named The Atelier, a 50-story luxury condominium.
IDA served as a planning, design, and development consultant to CITIARC in planning this 1.2 million square foot international entertainment and shopping center. In addition to retail space, the project contains a 5-star hotel, health spa, and luxury apartment units.
WQB Architecture provided zoning analysis for a 30,000 sf building and marketing feasibility to determine the value of a 12,000 sq ft site in Crown Heights, Brooklyn for sale by the Church of Nazarene and to prepare an offer to purchase for L-train capital.
