Restored Book Tower in Detroit features hospitality venues by Method Co
CategoriesInterior Design

Restored Book Tower in Detroit features hospitality venues by Method Co

Several restaurants and a hotel have opened within Detroit’s historic Book Tower as part of a years-long restoration project of the building undertaken by its developer and architecture studio ODA.

The 1920s skyscraper has undergone extensive restoration work over the past seven years by local developer Bedrock, which has transformed the former office building into a mixed-use space.

Giant glass dome over a neoclassical lobbyGiant glass dome over a neoclassical lobby
Among Book Tower’s restored features are a grand glass dome, which sits over the lobby’s Bar Rotunda

A collaboration with Method Co has led to the first phase of restaurant and bar concepts, which were introduced through the course of 2023.

“We have been ever-mindful of what the restoration of Book Tower means to this city,” said Randall Cook, CEO and cofounder of Method Co, “and we’ve worked hard to create hospitality concepts that will excite and reconnect Detroiters to Book Tower once again, and at the same time honour the heritage of this magnificent property.”

View through an arch in a stone wall of an atriumView through an arch in a stone wall of an atrium
Developers Bedrock worked with architects ODA on the restoration of the 1920s neoclassical building

Located on Washington Boulevard in Downtown Detroit, the 38-storey neoclassical building was designed by Louis Kamper – a prolific and celebrated architect in the city during its Gilded Age.

New York architecture firm ODA was hired to update and expand the programming and existing structures, resulting in half a million square feet (46,450 square metres) of mixed-use space.

Le Suprême brasserie interior with green tiles and wood accentsLe Suprême brasserie interior with green tiles and wood accents
Method Co was brought on to conceptualise and operate multiple culinary offerings within the building, including Le Suprême brasserie at street level

The work included restoring the exterior windows and stonework and bringing an ornate domed glass ceiling back to life.

Method Co was then brought on to conceptualise three restaurants and bars, as well as a hotel, and operate each of these venues within the building.

Le Suprême restaurant with zinc bar top, hand-made tiles and mosaic marble flooringLe Suprême restaurant with zinc bar top, hand-made tiles and mosaic marble flooring
Designed with Stokes Architecture + Design, Le Suprême includes a zinc bar top, hand-made tiles and mosaic marble flooring

Dining options include Le Suprême, a classic French brasserie that offers an all-day menu and both indoor and outdoor seating at street level for up to 210 guests.

Designed in collaboration with Stokes Architecture + Design, the 6,200-square-foot space features a traditional zinc bar top, hand-made art nouveau tiles, mosaic marble flooring and oxblood leather booths.

Furniture and decor were chosen to reflect Detroit’s cultural heritage, and photos on the walls of the Le Mans car race tie to the city’s automobile legacy.

Kamper's rooftop cocktail bar with exposed brickwork and dark wood accentsKamper's rooftop cocktail bar with exposed brickwork and dark wood accents
On the 14th floor is Kamper’s, a rooftop cocktail bar designed with ODA

On the 14th floor is Kamper’s, a rooftop cocktail bar designed with ODA comprising an indoor lounge that opens onto an expansive outdoor terrace via large French doors.

The cosy interior has exposed brick walls and dark wood accents, complemented by marble mosaic flooring, antiqued mirrors and velvet drapery.

Expansive outdoor terrace with views across DetroitExpansive outdoor terrace with views across Detroit
Kamper’s opens onto an expansive terrace with views across Detroit

Bar Rotunda sits below the glass dome and acts as an all-day lobby cafe and bar, with 70 seats surrounded by ornate architectural details that recall the grand eateries of early 20th-century Paris.

“The space is canopied by a beautifully restored 100-year-old Keppler Glass dome that features more than 7,000 individual jewels and 6,000 glass panels making it an architectural centerpiece,” said Method Co, which also worked with ODA on this space.

Also planned to open soon within Book Tower are sake pub Sakazuki, and izakaya and omakase-style dining spot Hiroki-San.

The hotel component of the building, Roost Detroit, offers short and long-stay accommodation in contemporary apartment-style spaces, alongside The Residences that are purchasable as permanent homes.

Studio hotel-apartment with a bed, kitchen and sofaStudio hotel-apartment with a bed, kitchen and sofa
The building’s accommodation component, Roost Detroit, is Method Co’s latest iteration of its apartment hotel brand

Roost Detroit is the latest iteration of Method Co’s apartment hotel brand, joining multiple outposts in Philadelphia – including the Morris Adjmi-designed East Market – along with Tampa, Cleveland and more across the US.

The company also operates The Quoin boutique hotel in Wilmington, Delaware, which offers 24 guest rooms within a converted bank building, and the Whyle extended-stay property in Washington DC that was longlisted in the hotel and short-stay interior category of Dezeen Awards 2021.

Contemporary residential interior with lounge and dining areasContemporary residential interior with lounge and dining areas
Roost Detroit offers short and extended stays within contemporary spaces of various sizes and configurations

Downtown Detroit’s revitalisation has taken shape over the past few years, and a handful of new hotels have opened to accommodate visitors who are returning to witness its cultural and creative rebirth.

They include The Siren Hotel, designed by ASH NYC to recall the city’s glamorous past, and the Shinola Hotel, which Gachot Studios designed for the local watch company of the same name.

The photography is by Matthew Williams unless stated otherwise.

Reference

Gensler and Civilian transform Detroit post office into technology centre
CategoriesArchitecture

Gensler and Civilian transform Detroit post office into technology centre

American architecture studio Gensler and interior design studio Civilian have restored the historic Book Depository building in Detroit and transformed it into the headquarters for technology company Newlab.

Gensler and Civilian transformed the art deco building to be usable by tech companies, adding purpose-built prototyping labs, open-plan co-working spaces and outdoor green spaces.

Exterior of the Book Depository building transformed by Gensler for the Newlab Detroit headquarters
Gensler and Civilian transformed a 1930s post office into a workspace and technology centre

The 270,000-square-foot (25,083 square metres) building will be used as a centre for startups, entrepreneurs, engineers and scientists working in mobility technology.

The Book Depository building was originally built in 1936, designed by American architect Albert Kahn as a post office and mail-sorting facility. It was later used as a place to store books by Detroit Public Schools, from which it draws its name.

Exterior of the Book Depository building transformed by Gensler for the Newlab Detroit headquarters
The building will be used as Newlabs Detroit headquarters

The building now includes an exhibition space, an event space, a robotics and prototyping facility, and two open studio spaces with desks, lounge areas, classrooms and meeting rooms.

The interior has an industrial appearance with concrete floors and exposed services.

Lounge chairs, circular tables and planting fill the central atrium space, which provides a collaborative workspace lit by the skylight above.

Interior atrium space with large skylight and open-plan co-working space
An atrium space lets natural light into co-working spaces

“The building has been repositioned to meet the demands of the city’s top innovators, including ample access to daylight, open internal connectivity and destinations for exchange, and an engaging ground floor as a connective intersection within the overall development, serving as a boulevard for the community, industry partners, and the neighbourhood,” said Gensler.

“Embracing the rich history of the building, juxtaposing design elements with the industrial strength and structure associated with Albert Kahns work, Gensler reimagined the building with a focus on connection and collaboration,” added Newlab.

Newlab has an existing headquarters in Brooklyn, New York, and hopes that transforming the Book Depository building into the company’s Detroit headquarters will attract jobs to the area.

“Building on its success in Brooklyn, Newlab is scaling its model of applied innovation to create the conditions for a sustainable high-tech startup ecosystem to take hold in the region,” said the company.

Technology labs at the Newlab Detroit headquarters by Gensler
The building includes and robotics and prototyping facility

“Projected to attract thousands of new jobs to Michigan Central, the campus will offer high-design innovation and collaborative workspace, dozens of acres of green and open space for the community,” Newlab continued.

Architecture studio Ghafari assisted Gensler and Civilian with the interior design of the project and landscape design studio MYK created the landscaping scheme.

Interior of the Newlab Detroit headquarters
The interior has an industrial appearance

The building is situated on the Michigan Central campus, a district dedicated to mobility innovation that also includes Ford’s restoration and transformation of the Michigan Central Station.

Other large-scale projects set to be built in Detroit include a slanted glazed building designed by Kohn Pedersen Fox for the Detroit Center for Innovation campus and OMAs design to transform a derelict bakery into a mixed-use art and education facility.

The exterior photography is by Jason Keen. The interior photography is by Brian Ferry.

Reference