Art-centric brand 21c Museum Hotels is slated to open 21c Durham in North Carolina next February. The hotel is located in the Hill Building, one of the most prominent pieces of architectural history in downtown Durham.
The 17-story building was originally designed by New York-based architects Shreve, Lamb & Harmon, famous for the Empire State Building, in association with Durham architect George Watts Carr. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the Hill Building is one of three Art Deco structures built in Durham’s commercial core in the 1930s, and represents the later and more restrained Art Deco style. The ground floor originally housed both the Ellis Stone department store and the Home Savings Bank and Trust Company.
Designed by New York-based Deborah Berke Partners in collaboration with executive architect Alan Weiskopf of Pittsburgh-based Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel, a firm recognized for their significant experience in historic preservation projects, 21c Durham’s renovation respects the Hill Building’s historic character, while creating a contemporary space to show the work of living artists. The team is preserving many of the building’s original features, from the terrazzo flooring to the silver leaf vaulted ceiling in the elevator lobby. Â
Building on the mission of founders Steve Wilson and Laura Lee Brown to bring works of art to the public through innovative contemporary art exhibitions and programs that integrate art into daily life, 21c Durham will feature more than 10,500 square feet of exhibition, meeting, and event space presenting rotating curated exhibitions, dynamic site-specific art installations and a roster of cultural programming. The museum is open free of charge 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The property will also house 125 hotel rooms with a penthouse and two suites featuring private terraces.
The property’s restaurant will occupy the space on the corner of Corcoran and Main streets, taking advantage of the large storefront windows that were part of the original department store, while the hotel’s ballroom will occupy the historic banking hall with its soaring windows and historic teak wood paneling. The bank also included a vault and safety deposit boxes in the basement, which will remain intact and house the property’s spa in addition to being used as an intimate event space.
