Four-alarm building

Repurposing a historic landmark into a four-star tourism destination

By Gina Deary

The opportunity to transform the former Detroit fire department headquarters building into a boutique hotel was much more than another adaptive-reuse, historic preservation endeavor. This was a true opportunity to help revitalize Detroit.

Tasked with this immense responsibility, the KTGY team focused on honoring the city’s past and celebrating its promising future. It took a team of experts to accomplish this. The branding and interior design team set the vision and worked closely with the hotel owner and developer, Aparium Hotel Group, and the architect, McIntosh Poris Associates, to transform the vacant building. Inspired by the idea of “Coming Home to Detroit,” the design team took historically relevant moments and materials from the fire department headquarters, as well as from the city, to create a unique, contemporary design showcasing the historic narrative of the building while paying homage to the city in which it was built. In repurposing this landmark, it also placed high importance on successfully bridging the gap between design and functionality. The site played an integral role in forming the creative choices the design team made. The building can be seen immediately upon entering the city, so we left the fire doors intact in order to establish a welcoming atmosphere. As an homage to the building’s history, a fire engine “red” was selected and applied to the historic doors.

McIntosh Poris Associates then proceeded to use that color for significant branding elements throughout the hotel. Through concept, interior design and branding, we focused on the client’s vision of providing a hotel that captured the true character and hospitality of Detroit. It was important to us that the design met the programmatic and operational requirements of the owner while also creating an authentic, approachable and dynamic space for locals and travelers alike. The approach to accomplishing this meant we began not with design but with positioning – the idea of coming home to Detroit resonated with our team and became the jumping off point. Celebrating community, social entrepreneurship and economically engaging the community inspired our collaboration with the city’s many craftsmen, artisans and community members. It developed an outreach program to help us understand the community, which was integral to the relationships we created with local vendors that it engaged to help create this now beloved destination.

The site played an integral role in forming the creative choices the design team made. The building can be seen immediately upon entering the city, so we left the fire doors intact in order to establish a welcoming atmosphere.

The outreach resulted in our team proposing the concept of “a new Detroit,” a vision that the group celebrated. This concept is seen through the juxtaposition of repurposing history and creating a communal and industrial luxury design. The experience begins upon arrival. Entering the five-story Neoclassical building through a massive arched, terra cotta-faced portal, originally one of the fire engine doors, guests are transported into a voluminous space; a story-and-a-half area that once housed the fire engines. Existing glazed brick tiles celebrate the building’s history, while the new finishes such as decorative lighting and interior architecture add modernity. An open display kitchen and an antique brass metal rail system reminiscent of a fireman’s pole runs through the restaurant and highlights the strong architecture of the space. The restaurant, aptly named the Apparatus Room is, in effect, a communal living space incorporating restaurant, lobby and check-in space. Within the Apparatus Room, a monumental feature chandelier, which encircles the central bar, serves not only as a lighting source but also a memorable and significant art installation. Working together with artist, Alex Porbe, McIntosh Poris Associates created the prominent, custom chandelier, which contains 359 warm, exposed element LED lamps and 110 pieces of hand-blown glass that sparkle and refract light. Having grown up in the Detroit area, this fixture was inspired by my childhood memory of streetlamps—some on and some off—dotting Detroit’s downtown district. The fixture serves as a beacon illuminating the interior and beckoning from the exterior. Positioned intentionally in the direct sightline of guests is an additionally eye-catching chandelier aptly inspired by the building’s history, resembling abstract puffs of smoke.

The restaurant, aptly named the Apparatus Room is, in effect, a communal living space incorporating restaurant, lobby and check-in space.

The front desk is a vintage, found-furniture-credenza; video screens behind the desk showcase footage of local artisans. The likes of which include Alex Porbe of Incite Design; Kim Harty, chairperson, College of Creative Studies; and fabricators whose skills, craftsmanship and art are incorporated throughout the hotel. When curating the guestrooms, we continued our commitment to honoring the city’s past and celebrating its promising future. Guestrooms feature salvaged trim and moldings. The furnishings celebrate industrial design, a prominent attribute of the city, balanced with luxurious materials. An unexpected nod to fordite mining is artistically re-interpreted as a headboard inlay, while graphically manipulated photographs of gorgeous-yet-abandoned Detroit landmarks grace the room as wallcovering. The color palette of deep chocolates with pastel metallic punctuated with pink and blue accents, reminiscent of the paint colors of 1960 automobiles, adds an unexpected hue to the clean and modern guestrooms. Designing the Detroit Foundation Hotel was truly a collaborative effort inspired by the city’s design, art, architecture and manufacturing communities. The repurposing of an inspiring space which was once an abandoned landmark into a modern, flourishing hotel was achieved through cohesive partnerships. Ones that were all driven by the same purpose, encapsulating and modernizing “Detroit.” CCR Gina Deary, whose lifestyle design career spans more than 20 years, has developed an international reputation for curating culturally tuned designs that deliver forward-thinking, prismatic drama. Clients commission Deary to attract desired users to their developments as she leads with foundational knowledge of the local business environment and deep respect for each project city’s history and architecture. As is evidenced throughout the Detroit Foundation Hotel, large scale and mixed media art installations that celebrate regional, industry and local landscapes are a hallmark of her work.