The design of 21c Museum Hotel, Cincinnati is bold and unique because it at once represents the rich history of a one hundred-year-old hotel and pushes into the future as a new precedent for a travel destination. Deborah Berke Partners maintained the character of the former Metropole Hotel by preserving several features — detailed stonework announcing the entrance, the sweeping staircase connecting a first-floor gallery to the second-floor event spaces, and ceramic tiles in the new Metropole Restaurant. By threading together the landmark building’s history with exciting architecture, the 21c Museum Hotel provides a memorable experience for the modern traveler.
Building on 21c Museum Hotel’s mission of engaging the public with contemporary art, the hotel features an art museum with more than 8,000 square feet of gallery space that is free and open to the public at all hours of the day. Each of the 160 guest rooms and suites promotes the concept of living in art by incorporating commissioned pieces, such as anthropomorphic ceramic tiles in the guest baths and floor-to-ceiling panels that are screen-printed with images of the city, as architectural elements throughout. The hotel’s public spaces also facilitate an integrated experience of travel, art, and architecture. Deborah Berke Partners balanced dramatic etched glass panels and hand-woven fiber optic light sculpture installed in the lobby with a palette of neutral colors and rich textures in order to reference their dynamic balance of new and old. As a result, 21c Museum Hotel, Cincinnati connects modern architecture, contemporary art, and historic character in a unique travel destination.