A luxury boutique hotel in the heart of the fashion district in New York City, Refinery Hotel opened its doors in summer 2013. The owners chose their location carefully and sought to preserve the history of the building they renovated. Originally known as the Colony Arcade Building, the structure was designed in typical early 1900s style with an ornate, neo-gothic facade. The building has served as a tea house for upperclass women and as well as a hat factory. When renovating the building, the owners kept many of the vintage details. Original fixtures were reworked into ceilings and furniture. They also injected modern, urban style by mixing new and vintage furnishings. The hotel features a prohibition style cocktail lounge, rooftop bar, and art exhibition space. While it’s not clear why the business was named Refinery Hotel, one could infer that it was derived from the factory that once resided in the building. A refinery is an industrial instillation where a substance is refined and made usable, much like fabrics were made into wearable garments. Refinery is also derived from the term “refined” meaning “elegant and cultured in appearance, manner, or taste.”
When designing their logo, the style had to be a mix of old and new, vintage and modern, elegant and sophisticated with a hint of industrial chic. It had to be something proprietary that would convey the uniqueness of the hotel itself. Currently, their logo uses typefaces that can be downloaded free online. The logo could easily be ripped off. The target audience is 24 - 45 year-olds who are young and wealthy. Refinery Hotel isn’t your typical luxury hotel. While it is elegant, it’s infused with old-world character and charm.
By using two different typefaces, the logo conveys the idea of mixing vintage and modern styles. Refinery is hand-lettered in an elegant script. However, the script isn’t your typical, formal style. Its thick strokes and stylized letterforms give the word character, making it modern and fresh. By connecting the “R” and “F”, it creates a frame for the word “hotel”. The loops also create a playfulness and the viewer’s eye is able to flow easily from letterform to letterform.
The word “hotel” is set in a sans-serif typeface with an elongated body height. The typeface itself is a mix of curves and angles. While the terminals are rounded, the curves of the “O” are angled, furthering the idea of juxtaposing styles. The angles also give the typeface a more industrial look. The elongated body height references the height of the actual building.
