Jeffrey Beers International will redesign the landmark Gloria Palace Hotel in Rio de Janeiro. The property, built in 1922, will comprise two structures separated by a garden: a main building and an Executive Tower. Connecting the two buildings is a new pavilion, whose contemporary architecture offers a counterpoint to Gloria’s neoclassical façade.
The design firm will enclose the existing U-shaped building plan to create a 10-story interior atrium topped by a glass-bottomed pool that doubles as a giant skylight. Beers will relocate the main lobby from the street level to the second floor. Accessed from the ground floor by dedicated elevators, the lobby will include guest reception, multiple seating areas, bar with adjacent all-day-dining restaurant, access to the spa, and luxury retail boutiques. A grand stair will lead guests to meeting rooms on a mezzanine level.
Interior design references the Moderne style of the era in which the original hotel was built. Beers’ team will source the majority of the project’s materials, including rosewood, marble, nickel, bronze, and smoked mirror, from within Brazil. A series of “green walls” throughout the hotel, including four planted columns in the atrium, will pay homage to the country’s lush natural environment.
