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.

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white ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan
CategoriesArchitecture

white ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan

Studio Marco Piva reconstructs Torre Antonini after fire

 

Architectural Studio Marco Piva takes over the reconstruction of the skyscraper that caught fire in Milan on August 29, 2021, leaving 80 families homeless. The project provides for the partial restoration of the architecture of the pre-existing tower ‘Torre Antonini’, giving it a distinctive morphology that stems from the cues from the previous structure and translates into a modern architectural solution. The design composes loggias that, by enveloping the entire building, establish a connection with the surrounding area and offer usable and scenic outdoor spaces. The concept holds a soft aesthetic with sinuous shapes that enfold the structure, ‘like light and elegant ribbons’. The project is planned to be completed between 2025 and 2026.

white dynamic ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan
Torre Antonini exterior by Studio Marco Piva | all images courtesy of Studio Marco Piva

 

 

dynamic parapets and innovative green spaces adorn the tower

 

The building has two floors below ground and nineteen above, with a total height of approximately 70 meters. Starting from the lower floors, the dynamic elegance of the parapets extends fluidly over the entire height of the tower, softening its overall profile. The studio designs a stylistic element to be featured on the building, a special glass insert positioned in an irregular pattern in each parapet enabling residents to enjoy captivating views of the city of Milan.

 

The Torre Antonini project follows the ‘Green Wave’ concept by Marco Piva, offering an innovative and contemporary urban lifestyle that is expressed through the selection of high-quality finishes and materials and attention to every detail of the external spaces, and shaping new comfortable and functional living areas. The design of the outdoor zones and restructured loggias is the combination of research, inventiveness, and functionality, from the first objective of increasing private external areas to the subsequent implementation of sliding ‘brises soleils’ on all sides to mitigate exposure to the sun. Fixed planters and green-covered vertical grilles are provided near the lift shafts to increase the privacy of the adjacent terraces. The project aims to enhance the osmotic relationship between the Tower and its surrounding landscape, between indoor and outdoor areas, while fostering the necessary domestic intimacy.

white dynamic ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan
the facade as it looks before the restoration

white dynamic ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan
the designed loggias envelop the entire building offering usable and scenic outdoor spaces

white dynamic ring loggias envelop the restored torre antonini in milan
the current state of the skyscraper

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