MVRDV’s colorful building in Manhattan’s Washington Heights, the Radio Tower and Hotel, took a significant step closer to completion. Radio Hotel, which serves as one of the main functions of the mixed-use development, celebrated its soft opening with a ribbon-cutting ceremony attended by New York Mayor Eric Adams on Monday. The Radio Tower and Hotel is the first major project that MVRDV will complete in the United States.

The distinctive design of the building is inspired by its context, with the building composed of a stack of blocks that match the size of the smaller buildings in the area. In a nod to the bright colours found in the shopfronts of the vibrant neighbourhood, the blocks are finished in coloured glazed bricks, ranging in from muted brown and purple to bright blue, yellow, and green.