The Twenty Two New York: At a Glance:
- Project: The Twenty Two New York, a boutique luxury hotel just off Union Square
- Building: A historic 9-story brownstone, previously the Margot Hotel, also referenced during development as 16 E 16th Street
- Challenge: The owner had selected a decorative lever design that could not pass the certification requirements for the building’s electronic locks. What began as a specification limited to the electronic locks grew into a full-property hardware program driven by a desire for design continuity in every unit.
- Solution: FR International custom-designed a lever and escutcheon that met Salto’s technical requirements while preserving the owner’s intended aesthetic, then carried that design across every opening in the property
- Partners: Salto (electronic access), Linear Technologies (system integrator), Long Island Fire Proof (hardware distributor), MJM Associates Construction (general contractor)
A Boutique Landmark Just Off Union Square
The Twenty Two New York occupies a historic 9-story brownstone just off Union Square, one of Manhattan’s most storied neighborhoods. The property carries a dark, moody, distinctly New York aesthetic that runs through every detail of the interior, from the deep tones of the guest room doors to the refined hardware that completes them.
In a boutique hotel of this caliber, hardware is not a background element. It’s one of the first things a guest touches and one of the most visible expressions of the property’s design intent. That made getting it right a priority, and it’s where a challenge emerged that required a collaborative solution.
The Challenge: A Design That Wouldn’t Pass
The owner had selected a decorative lever design they wanted for the guest room doors. The problem was technical. The design didn’t meet the certification requirements for the Salto electronic locks specified on the access-controlled doors, which meant the owner’s preferred aesthetic and the building’s access control technology were, as specified, incompatible.
Salto’s certification process exists for good reason. A handle set has to meet a range of specific requirements, or it can compromise how the lock functions over time. Salto’s Gerry Rupper has seen the consequences of getting this wrong. On one project, a contractor substituted handles that hadn’t been certified, and months later “the handle sets were sagging,” pulling on the latch until doors stopped closing properly. Certified hardware exists specifically to prevent that outcome.
The owner didn’t want to compromise on the look, and the certification requirements couldn’t be waived. What the project needed was a partner who could bridge the gap between the design vision and the engineering reality.
The Solution: Custom Design, Rapidly Delivered
For situations exactly like this, Salto turns to FR International. Speaking to the partnership between the two companies, Salto’s Gerry Rupper describes FR International as a go-to resource: “FRI really is my go-to company when it comes to selecting third-party handles.” The reason is a combination of technical fluency and design range. FR International maintains a catalog of handle sets that are, in Rupper’s words, “certified by Salto to work with our product and still not violate any warranties.” As he puts it, the team understands what Salto’s products require and pairs that with “the aesthetics to go along with it that suit the requirements of many of the architects.”
Salto brought FR International into the Twenty Two project. During a call with the owner and the system integrator, Salto shared images of the design the owner wanted and asked FR International whether it could be replicated in a way that would pass certification.
After reviewing the design, FR International said yes. Within a couple of days, the team completed the design work and submitted a rendering and line art for a custom lever and escutcheon that preserved the character of the owner’s selection while meeting Salto’s technical requirements. Once that was approved, FR International moved into 3D-printed samples and then into production.
The result was a custom lever and escutcheon designed specifically for the Twenty Two, based on FR International’s 6843 Acton lever and P51 Halifax plate, finished in a special dark bronze with a copper edge relief that gives the hardware its distinctive depth and warmth.
One Design, Every Door
The original specification called for FR International’s hardware only on the Salto electronic locks, the access-controlled doors where the certification challenge first arose. But once the custom lever and escutcheon were designed, the project team saw an opportunity. They wanted that same design language carried through every unit, not just the doors with electronic locks, so that the experience of the hardware felt continuous and intentional throughout the entire property.
That decision expanded FR International’s role from a single door type to the full scope of the project. Working in collaboration with Long Island Fire Proof, the Contract Hardware Distributor on the project, FR International supplied coordinated hardware for every opening. The architect updated the construction documents to reflect the new Frascio lever and escutcheon across the property.
The guest room doors with Salto Fusion locks used FR International trimsets. Every other door, from communicating doors to the remaining openings inside each unit, used the same lever and plate design on either the M500 mortise lock line or the T600 tubular series, depending on the application. Matching DS870-50 door stops in the same finish completed the coordination. For the entry, FR International provided a special door pull, the DPE4112, featuring a fluted finial detail that echoes the dark bronze and copper finish carried throughout the property.
The collaboration between FR International and Long Island Fire Proof made it possible to deliver that full scope, door pulls, tubular sets, communicating door hardware, and electronic lock trimsets, as one coordinated package. The result is a property where the hardware reads as a single, deliberate design language from the front entrance to the inside of every unit.
A Project Built on Partnership
The Twenty Two came together through the coordination of several partners, each playing a distinct role. Salto provided the electronic access technology and brought FR International into the project. Linear Technologies served as the system integrator. Long Island Fire Proof, the hardware distributor, collaborated with FR International to source and supply hardware across every opening in the property. MJM Associates Construction managed the work on site as general contractor.
For Salto, the value of the FR International relationship comes down to range, reliability, and ease of working together. Reflecting on the partnership between the companies more broadly, Rupper describes it simply: “It’s a perfect partnership that way. Great relationship, good people, knowledgeable guys. They pick up the phone.” When a project calls for a custom finish, a unique style, or hardware that has to match something outside Salto’s own catalog, FR International rounds out what Salto offers. “We need partners like FRI to round out and complete some of them.”
The Result
The Twenty Two New York opened with hardware that looks like it was always meant to be there. The owner kept the design they wanted. The building met its access control requirements. And what started as a specification for the electronic locks alone became a fully coordinated, whole-property hardware program, unified by a single custom design that runs through every opening in a historic Manhattan brownstone.
For projects where the design vision and the technical requirements seem to be at odds, FR International brings the design capability and engineering responsiveness to bridge the gap. Contact FR International at 1-800-238-9711 or visit FRInternational.com.