Pop-up hotels solution to problem of empty offices in New York, elsewhere
Four architects pioneer 'here today, gone tomorrow' accommodation in New York to help landlords cut their huge losses on unrented premises
Pop-up hotels may conjure images of luxury tents or specially designed containers brought in as site-specific, time-sensitive accommodation for transient crowds. Now, a group of four young architects are taking the concept one step further.
PinkCloud.dk is attempting to catch the tiger's tale of New York real estate with a plan to turn empty office space in Manhattan into "here today, gone tomorrow" hotels.
It is designed to help jolt American landlords out of a real estate malaise - unrented office space - that often equates to a monthly loss of millions of dollars, with mid-town occupancy languishing at 21.6 per cent, according to CBRE econometric advisers.
Add to that New York tourism rates hitting a record high of 52 million last year, according to Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and you see why PinkCloud.dk founders Eric Tan, Leon Lai, Fabian Busse and Nico Schlapps, have caused ripples.
"We saw the problem and needed to find a solution," said the Hong Kong-born, New York-bred Tan. PinkCloud.dk entered their idea in the Radical Innovation in Hospitality Competition and won a Grand Prize of US$10,000. All four flew to Las Vegas in May to collect the award.
A pop-up hotel has been something the four have talked about since they first met in 2010.