By Adam Wallace, Marketing Graduate @RSHotel

Urban Crystals

Who, what, when and where are they?

Well, the story begins in a foundry out in rural Connecticut. Using stainless steel,  James Knowles creates large handcrafted sculptures, he describes the creation like “a dance of metals”. He then continues to mold and form the works using an array of techniques such as modelling, casting and firing. James Knowles who is also CEO of The Roger Smith Hotel is a passionate and wild-thinking artist as well as a strong hotelier. What is unusual is that he has found a way to combines the two threads of his professional life to create an exciting collection of art and sculptures which are then homed at his Midtown Manhattan hotel. The expertise and craftsmanship required for each piece is a vital part of the pleasure of the process of creating these works. Once each one is completed, Mr Knowles considers the next one a brand new adventure. One has to move these large, vigorous pieces created by one mans hands, from rural Connecticut to New York City. Each piece is carefully fastened to the top of his car and transported to the bustling, urban Manhattan. If ever you find yourself driving down the A27 at 7am on a weekday morning you may well be lucky enough to catch a glimpse of this extraordinary sight. Once the piece arrives here at the hotel it is then righteously installed onto the face of the building of The Roger Smith Hotel, finding its new forever home!

These works, the Urban Crystals are unique; they are timeless pieces of art built to remain in existence for as the long as the hotel stands. As each day passes they become worn a little more. As each season passes through New York they build more character. More people see them; familiarize themselves with these impressive works, thus, faming the Urban Crystals.

Our emphasis on art contributes to the cultural flare of the hotel. James Knowles’s sculptures create a character and intimate charm to the building, which the hotel is well known for. The Roger Smith Hotel is a showcase of art, culture and creativity, exciting people from all over the world. With that said, we look forward to watching the Urban Crystals project come towards its final stages of completion over these coming months, and updating you on progress in the mean time!