The Smithsonian cuts back on BIG’s $2 billion masterplan, the founder of Walker Zanger dies from COVID-19, and major hotel companies adjust their political spending. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
DC hotels and restaurants debate whether to close during inauguration
Eaton DC, designed by Parts and Labor Design and Gachot Studios
As if 2020 hadn’t been difficult enough for the hospitality industry, now, during the first month of the new year, hotels in the Washington, DC area are faced with the decision to temporarily close their doors during next week’s inauguration or potentially risk their reputation and raise safety concerns. Many large chains will remain open and implement heightened security measures, reports Bloomberg. Four Seasons will also honor reservations, but boutique hotel Eaton DC is suspending operations for six days and Airbnb has canceled bookings and blocked new reservations entirely through inauguration week. Restaurants and bars are grappling with the same choices for a time that is typically lively and prosperous for the city’s businesses.
The Smithsonian scales back $2 billion overhaul
Photo by WikiImages from Pixabay
According to the New York Times, the museum is shrinking the extensive $2 billion expansion plan of the Smithsonian Institute’s southern campus. The masterplan, designed by Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG), will be revised to focus on the revitalization of the 19th-century administration building, the Castle, as well as to make improvements to the Arts and Industries Building, which has been largely shuttered since 2004. The original masterplan was unveiled in 2014 and cost the organization $5.5 million on architectural and research fees. The Smithsonian also made headlines this week as museum curators gather memorabilia—including banners, flags, damaged nameplates, and more—from last week’s pro-Trump riot and insurrection on the U.S. Capitol Building in order to establish a visual archive of the event, writes ArtNews.
The hospitality industry pivots its political donations
The Hilton Astana in Kazakhstan
In response to last week’s attack on the U.S. Capitol, several major hotel companies have changed the course of their political spending. Over the weekend, Marriott announced that it was to cease donations to any candidates objecting the certification of President-elect Joe Biden’s victory, reports Skift. “We have taken the destructive events at the Capitol to undermine a legitimate and fair election into consideration and will be pausing political giving from our Political Action Committee to those who voted against certification of the election,” a Marriott spokesperson said in a statement. Hilton stated on Monday that it would halt all donations and keep its political action committee suspended indefinitely. (The committee was paused in March 2020 due to the pandemic.)
Walker Zanger founder dies from COVID-19 at 93
Leon Zanger, the CEO and founder of stone and tile company Walker Zanger, passed away on Monday, January 11th due to complications from COVID-19. He was 93. The Belgium-born Zanger immigrated to the U.S. at the age of 12 with his family and went on to launch Walker Zanger with partner Marvin Walker in 1953. (Walker passed away in 2018.) A decade later, he began importing stone tiles to the U.S., which led to a popular new market for residential settings and much of the company’s growth. In 2016, Zanger retired and his son Jonathan Zanger took over as president.
HD’s Diversity Action Committee gets to work
On Thursday, January 28th, Hospitality Design will officially inaugurate its Hospitality Diversity Action Council with the “Diversity Is Not a Trend” webinar, moderated by editor in chief Stacy Shoemaker Rauen and hotelier Bashar Wali. Join us as we tackle the hard questions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) challenges within the design community and beyond. So here we are, together, embarking on a mission to reframe an industry. Register for the event now.
