ForrestPerkins has completed a multimillion-dollar facelift to the InterContinental Dallas. “ForrestPerkins was able to bring new life into the hotel, to create stopping points and experiences for our guests,” says Scott Blakeslee, the hotel’s general manager. The lobby creates a glamorous sense of arrival, thanks to an oversized fireplace encased in black marble, walnut veneers covering massive columns, a registration desk made of glass that resembles stone, crystal chandeliers, and a 15-foot-tall sculptural bar. Backlit honey onyx panels illuminate the front of the registration desk, the curved bar, and the walnut-veneered columns, which feature embedded sconces.
The firm also commissioned Dallas-based artist Brad Oldham to create a collection of sculptural elements for both the interior and exterior of the hotel with a towering 15-foot-by-15-foot wall sculpture illuminated with color-changing LED lights that enhance the entry to the new restaurant. Six resin and wire tree sculptures adorn the width of the dramatic back bar that faces the lobby lounge, and four sculptural elements adorn the exterior entry.
For the redesign of 32 bi-level suites, ForrestPerkins incorporated shades of cream, caramel, and bronze with teal highlights. Texture and pattern celebrate the surrounding Texas landscape with hammered metal, embossed leathers, and locally sourced stones. Custom-designed lighting throughout 75,000 square feet of ballrooms and meeting spaces was designed to echo the swirls found in the vividly colored, Indian sari- and musical note-inspired custom carpets. The firm was also responsible for Q, the hotel’s new restaurant.
Reception desk: Photograph by Stuart Szerwo of Forms+Surfaces
Lobby fireplace: Photograph by Adrian Jack
