When it opened in the spring of 2012, the former El Al hotel in New York City was a marvel of modern architecture.
Built by architect Rafael Viñoly, it served as the hub of a burgeoning art and design scene in Manhattan.
A former luxury hotel, it was built on a scale of 100 feet to accommodate an exhibition space, a restaurant and even a restaurant with a rooftop pool.
The hotel’s name derives from the Spanish word for “house,” the term used for a private home.
A number of other projects have been proposed, including a luxury hotel in Rome and a luxury resort in Monaco, but the original building is the only one of its kind in the world.
Now, thanks to a $10 million donation by a California-based nonprofit, the Alfa will be opened for public use.
For those who’ve seen it, the renovation will take about three weeks.
The Alfa is scheduled to open for public access on July 4.
The renovation will also include a new lobby, two restaurants and a fitness center, and it will be open seven days a week.
The $10-million donation was the result of a partnership between the Alta Alfa Foundation and the New York Public Library, which is using the money to create a permanent library branch at the site of the old Alfa.
The foundation’s president, Dr. David Alva, said the library branch would serve as an opportunity to offer access to people who might otherwise be denied the opportunity to learn.
“This is a gift to the people of New York, and to all of New Yorkers, who deserve to have access to information and to have a place to learn about the city of New Orleans,” Alva said in a statement.
“This project will help to make the Algaalas library more accessible and provide a great resource for anyone interested in exploring the history of the city.”
Alfa renovation plans were detailed in a new renovation plan released by the foundation on Thursday.
The new Alfa building, which was completed in 2019, will be the first building in New Orleans to be completely refurbished.
The first two floors will be transformed into a new library.
The library will also host two classrooms and a conference room.
The space will have a rooftop restaurant and will also house a fitness studio and a new restaurant.
“We will use the building as a platform to offer a variety of services and activities for New Orleans residents and visitors, including an educational program,” the new renovation proposal reads.
The plan also includes a new kitchen and bathrooms for the library.
A new restaurant and a pool area will be built for the Alfanaas dining room.
Alfa renovations will also improve the building’s fitness center.
Alfano, which also serves as a hotel, has opened up its doors to the community for the past six months.
The company plans to open its doors for the public on July 1, with the library’s opening scheduled for the same date.