An understated architectural ode to New York’s Lower East Side.

Design and architecture firm Grzywinski and Pons has quietly made its mark on New York City’s boutique hotel scene, racking up four notable projects in Manhattan and one in Queens. Their latest project is Sago Hotel, a contemporary 20-room stay in the heart of the Lower East Side. By design, this urban property embraces the industrial tone of the neighborhood. The facade, for example, is composed of coal-fired brick, laid to encircle openings lined in slabs of sharp-edged steel. Visually, the effect is minimal, almost mechanical. Inside, the underlying structure’s steel girders, columns, and bolted junctions are laid bare. To the designers’ credit, this material severity is softened with tactile minimalism. Muted pastel walls seem to meld seamlessly with textured tiles and polished sheets of marble flooring. Quilted textiles soften ergonomic chairs. And in a noticeable shift away from artificial lighting, most of the Sago’s interiors are brightened by shifting contours of daylight, streaming in from custom-made windows. What’s missing is your typical New York suite of on-property amenities. But in this neighborhood, restaurants, gyms, and spas are well within reach.