21c Museum Hotel in downtown Cincinnati has opened after a restoration of the 100-year-old Metropole Hotel. Architect Deborah Berke of Deborah Berke Partners respects the character of the historic property (listed on the National Register of Historic Places) while incorporating a contemporary art museum. The design integrates many of the building’s original features, including the exterior terra cotta tile, a sweeping staircase leading to the second-floor ballroom, and the original mosaic tile floors in the restaurant and elevator lobby. Berke collaborated with executive architect Alan Weiskopf of Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel, a specialist on historic preservation projects, on the hotel’s design.
“The moments of discovery are truly exciting about this building, and this project,” Berke says. “It’s like a scavenger hunt from top to bottom. You will find something of interest throughout the building, and that’s what makes it a great architectural experience.”
The hotel’s 8,000 square feet of exhibition, meeting, and event space features rotating curated exhibitions, dynamic multi-media installations, and cultural programming such as artist lectures and live performances, all open to the public. Additional amenities include Metropole restaurant, a spa set to open soon, and a rooftop bar debuting next spring.
