Intercontinental Hotel Indianapolis
Client: Keystone Realty Group
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Status: Ongoing (est. completion Q2 2021)
Size: 178,000 sf
Responsibilities:
+ Project Architect, Preservation Specialist
+ Rooftop design and detailing
+ Construction documents
+ Direct client communication and design presentations
+ Historic Tax Credit administration
+ Coordination with local preservation commission staff
+ Consultant design coordination
+ Construction documentation
(*completed while employed at RATIO)
The Illinois Building, located near the heart of downtown Indianapolis, was constructed in 1926 by L. Strauss & Company and designed by famed Indianapolis architects Rubush & Hunter. The 10-story high-rise features a granite and limestone exterior featuring Art Moderne bas relief panels, and is topped with an ornate gold-glazed terra cotta cornice. The building's primary entrance features opulent brass doors and decorative brass grillework in front of alabaster panels. Though much of the building has been gutted, the building's richly decorated lobby is still intact.
The building was purchased by Keystone Realty Group and will be the future home of a new 170-room InterContinental luxury hotel, featuring two ground floor restaurants, a new contemporary entrance canopy, grand staircase, lobby bar, eight-story atrium, and meeting areas and a ballroom. The project will also feature one of the first rooftop bars in the city, with spectacular views of iconic Monument Circle and the Indiana Statehouse. The phased project has been in development since 2014 and is targeted to be completed in 2021.
As Project Architect and Preservation Specialist, my responsibilites ranged from building documentation and condition assessment to construction documentation and construction administration. I was also responsible for direct communication with the clients, including design presentations and site walkthroughs.