Gourmet Room SD

the gourmet room at the terrace plaza Liz Ickes - INTD 2017

“If you want to know what your grandchildren will think of as the elegance of this postwar era, you will have to go to Cincinnati and take an elevator up to the eighth floor of a pink brick building.�

Harpers Magazine, 1948

abstract The Terrace Plaza Hotel is one of Cincinnati’s Modernist landmarks. When it opened in 1948, it was heralded as one of the most innovative and remarkable structures in the Unites States. It enjoyed a period of great success following its opening, but after being sold to the Hilton hotel family in 1956, the slow and steady decline of the property began. What was once one of the most remarkable buildings in the city is now a dilapidated eyesore on a prime piece of downtown real estate.

All across the country, there is a resurgence of urban migration, both for individuals and for businesses. Cincinnati’s inner core neighborhoods are currently experiencing redevelopment and prosperity at a dizzying rate, putting the Terrace Plaza at the center of the action. Without a National Register designation, this building is at risk of demolition for a “new, more usable building.”

With a little faith and creativity, the Terrace Plaza can be what it once was, and serve the 21st century city.

The iconic interiors of the hotel portion are also what drew me to this property. The most important of which is the rooftop Gourmet Room restaurant. It is the most unique space in the building, and therefore the perfect example of how to bring the building into today. By combining the timeless architecture of modernism with the contemporary arts, the Gourmet Room can be returned to its position as one of the best restaurants in the city and an iconic interior for years to come.

hOW MIGHT WE... update and celebrate the historic Gourmet Room?

LIVING ART By injecting contemporary art and cuisine into historic architecture, and having those things be ever-changing, the Gourmet Room will return to its position as the most innovative restaurant in the city. Jack Emery believed a public building should “reflect the spirit of the age and contain examples of the best contemporary art.�

ART INSPIRATION

floor plan 1/16” = 1’

longitudinal section 1/16” = 1’

Gallery Perpective

bar perspective

dining room perspective

elevations 1/8� = 1’

bar area

interchangable art

Bar and Gallery Elevation

sculpture garden

Outdoor Patio Elevation

privacy planters

elevator lobby

materials board