Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween!

Here is some Photoshoping magic in honor of this spooky holiday:

But in all seriousness, a building with 100 years of history is bound to have its mysteries.  From Black Bart’s alleged stay at the hotel to Clover Lavina Young who was born in the hotel in 1912, to a mysterious girl posing in a Polaroid, the building is simply seeped in stories.  The beauty of a building so old is that the life and memories of all of its previous inhabitants are embedded within its walls, and you can feel them when you walk through its hallways. 

This polaroid found in the hotel during the renovation is one of my favorite
"artifacts" to reinvent stories about.  

In 2012 a group of ghost hunters from a SciFi TV show came to the hotel to search out any paranormal activity.  Although they didn't get much evidence besides the beeping of their “ghost meter,” one thing they kept repeating as they walked through the hallways was that the memories and stories within the building were evidently palpable.

This sense of past life and memories can’t be produced artificially, and it is what makes the Palace truly unique.  I think we have the chance now to reinvent them and bring them back to life with our own imaginations, through a Black Bart room, artwork depicting scenes from the old west, displaying old Polaroids and artifacts of the building, and restoring the original materials and layout.  

A Better Mindset

When renovating an existing building, I’m learning that it’s important to find the hidden potential in problematic areas.  Rather than fighting against the quirks of the previous design you have to put down your boxing gloves and work with it to create something even better and more unique. 

Atrium space in the Palace Hotel

The atrium space at the Hotel could be thought of as a quirk.   Many architects now would reject this atrium layout because it doesn’t use space efficiently and units with windows facing an atrium are considered undesirable.  But at the time (in the late 1920s) an atrium was a viable solution because the palace was expanding quickly with a large, new concrete addition and small, cheap hotel rooms with some natural light were needed. 

In taking up a new mindset I need to think, “How can we make the atrium a space where people want to be?”  This 100'x20’ rectangle could be a potential for some really awesome outdoor-indoor space, with fountains, walking paths, gardens, green walls, plants, benches, fire pits, a volleyball court, etc.  It could become the focal point for activity in the condo units, kind of a semi-private mini park that the residents of the Palace can enjoy.

Sketches showing potential re-use of atrium space.

Cherem-serrano-arquitectos recently renovated a 17^th century hotel in Mexico City, and I think they did a great job of making the most of their atrium with space for seating, a green wall, and an operable canvas roof.

Downtown Mexico Hotel atrium.

I think that at the Palace Hotel we have the opportunity to do the same.  Or better :)