Dine with, Wake Up to, and Do Much More with Major Art at the Just-Opened ModernHaus SoHo

The new hotel brings modernist style and millennial-desired services to the former James Hotel in SoHo, New York.

The lobby of ModernHaus SoHo featuring art by Harland Miller. Photo by Nikolas Koenig.

Ever dreamt of waking up to a painting by Alexander Calder? Or snagging some one-on-one time with a KAWS statuette? In the center of downtown New York's hippest neighborhood, the just-debuted ModernHaus SoHo brings contemporary art closer than ever in a fashionable, urban stay.

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A view of a guest room with an Alexander Calder. Photo by Nikolas Koenig.

Formerly the James, the new hotel opened doors earlier this month and is the first hospitality project from Thor Equities, the real estate empire that has fostered New York's retail operations—and specifically that of SoHo's—for the last three decades. Following Dolce & Gabbana's, Kartell, and Nike Lab's neighborhood outposts, ModernHaus plays off SoHo's New York charm, specifically its origins as a haven for artists.

Neighborhood favorite watering hole, Jimmy, sits at the top of ModernHaus SoHo. Photo by Nikolas Koenig.

"It's very much a personal project," Thor's Jack J. Sitt, executive director of the group overseen by his father, Joseph, tells L'OFFICIEL. In fact, the second-generation Sitt closely oversaw the development of the 114-room ModernHaus, completely transforming its predecessor's site and style, leaving the community's beloved rooftop pool bar, Jimmy, as the James' only remnant intact.

"We needed to give the space a new energy, and make visitors feel special," says Sitt, who, in addition to completely re-orchestrating the flow of the hotel, erected a modernist greenhouse for an indoor/outdoor restaurant perched at the forefront of SoHo's highly-coveted skyline. Inspired by a friend's backyard of a much smaller scale, Veranda's retractable glass facade allows for al fresco dining during New York's freedom-filled summers and heated entertainment during other times of the year. Michelin-starred George Mendes runs the multi-environment establishment, which,in addition to his take on a globally inspired American menu with Portuguese favorites, offers ModernHaus' crème de la Instagram: a life-size KAWS sculpture stylishly placed alongside garden seating.

According to Sitt, the highly-coveted artwork cost the price of a whole building, and is only part of the property's impressive catalogue. Curated by Sitt and with Melissa Bowers (the creative behind Faena Miami and American Bar's interiors), nearly every crook and cranny of the hotel features eye-catching pieces from the most significant contemporary artists in history: from three, SoHo loft-sized Harland Millers that greet visitors upon entrance, to the Calder surprises throughout the property, and a colorful Nicolas Party landscape from 2017 that chaperones Jumping Jacks, the hotel's cafe by day and evening lounge. Jean Dubuffet, Hans Hofmann, and an ultra-rare James Bond print are also on site, with many of the pieces coming from Sitt's own personal collection.

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A look inside Veranda and another guest room at ModernHaus. Photos by Nikolas Koenig.

Perhaps most emblematic of ModernHaus' vision for its second life is a painting by George Condo that hangs in a sunny corridor between Veranda and the hotel's lobby. Titled "Pandemic," the new work by the legendary SoHo artist is not as nihilistic as his portfolio or the subject matter might imply. Instead, its inclusion speaks to the surrounding neighborhood's history, our past year, and surely the frenzied summer of fun to come.