BY SEAN O’KEEFE
UPDATING THE VICEROY SANTA MONICA WITH BOMANITE MODENA
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long the famed Ocean Avenue, Viceroy Santa Monica has been a mainstay of beach-vibe luxury since its debut as the hotel brand’s first location more than 20 years ago. The Viceroy Hotel Group unveiled plans for a sweeping interior and exterior renovation in 2020, the intent was to usher in a new era in contemporary California cool. “The design objective…was to re-envision a completely new arrival experience, reception, bar, lounge, and poolside into something both breathtaking and quintessential,” says Ramon Gonzalez, project manager for EDG Interior Architecture and Design. When EDG was given the charge to revitalize the experience, renowned designer Kelly Wearstler’s Modern Colonialism highly visual style served as a starting point for reshaping the narrative. “We wanted all of the colors, art, and finish selections to work together in a sophisticated celebration of ocean-side style…we needed to do something spectacular," says Gonzalez. Something spectacular sounds simple enough during design but quite a bit less than simple in realization. The hotel’s existing floor was a layered fortress of tongue and groove oak planks glued to a plywood substrate affixed to the slab using concrete nails. The removed floor needed a durable replacement without a boundary between the interior and exterior. While a decorative concrete floor might have been cost-effective for the owner, explains
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Gonzalez, "We needed something that would express the design’s artistic qualities using a combination of integral colors and the banding segmentation of a terrazzo.” The solution, Bomanite Modena SL Custom Polishing System—an engineered cementitious topping of a hand-selected blend of aggregates that is poured, ground, and polished to the desired gloss level. The Modena system transforms worn or damaged concrete surfaces into beautiful, artistic floors that feel more like the centerpiece of a design than an afterthought. At Viceroy Santa Monica, the breezy ocean vibe led designers to a look that symbolized southern California’s soft golden sand.
“In luxury hospitality,
an exceptional experience is always the expectation. You have to be patient with this kind of work if you want exceptional results.
”
—Alan Meneou, superintendent for PWI Construction The challenge of renovating Viceroy Santa Monica while the hotel remained operational was awarded to PWI Construction, a nationwide general contractor and construction manager specializing in hospitality, restaurants, and luxury retail. “Removing the existing floor was a big challenge,” says Alan Meneou,
AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 2021
Renderings of the Videroy’s design. EDG Interior Architecture and Design
PWI Construction’s superintendent for the Viceroy Santa Monica rehabilitation. The demolition process unexpectedly involved forklifts, Bobcats, and jackhammers. “It took nearly a month to remove the floor and prepare the concrete slab to receive the new finish. Because we had so many other subcontractors working in and around the main lobby everything had to be done in sections.” Heritage Bomanite of Fresno was selected as a subcontractor to install the floor. A Bomanite-licensed contractor since 1973, Heritage Bomanite has been on the vanguard of decorative concrete for nearly 50 years. They used a self-leveler to make an even plane of the existing slab before installing approximately 4,500 sq. ft. of Modena at 3/4-in. thick segmented by 1,600 linear ft. of brass terrazzo strips per EDG’s layout. “In luxury hospitality, an exceptional experience is always the expectation. You have to be patient with this kind of work if you want exceptional results,” says Meneou. “Heritage Bomanite did a great job with the floor. I could tell their team liked what they were doing, which always makes a big difference in the way things turn out.” Sean O'Keefe writes design and construction stories.
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8/11/21 9:40 AM
