| 21c Museum Hotel Louisville
Louisville, Kentucky, 2006
Our clients, two art collectors, want to revitalize downtown Louisville
by investing in a hotel but also wanted to display their enormous collection
of contemporary art. Developing a hotel as well as a place to display art
within a set of four, contiguous, historic buildings was the design challenge.
The project consists of a ninety-room, full service hotel, a 6,000 sf art
gallery, and a world-class restaurant. New steel and glass canopies mark
the entries to the hotel, and the main entrance features a large pivoting
glass door for occasional delivery of large scale artwork. A five story
atrium and grand public stair at the center of the structure provides natural
light for interior-facing guestrooms and connects the main floor public
areas with the lower level gallery space, meeting rooms and a fitness center.
Many architectural features of the original building such as cast iron columns
and brick bearing walls have been left visible in the public spaces.
The guest rooms and baths are comfortable, luxurious, and celebrate the
use of innovative and environmentally-sensitive materials. Above the wooden
headboards are tackable surfaces where art commissioned by the hotel is
displayed.
The project was named 'Best Hotel' in Interior Design Magazine's 2006 'Best
of Year Awards.' |
