Riggs WASHINGTON DC Lore Group breathes new life into the US capital’s iconic Riggs National Bank, bringing a new boutique hotel to the thriving Penn Quarter neighbourhood. Words: Ayesha Khan • Photography: © Jennifer Hughes
F
ounded in 1836, Riggs National Bank was the premier
The bank theme starts immediately upon entry with a
financial institution of Washington DC’s well-to-do,
reception area reminiscent of bank teller windows. On one
including a host of presidents from Abraham Lincoln
wall, a curated collection of vintage cheques from the bank
to Harry Truman. The regal headquarters, built in 1891, was
– some for enough money to buy a house, others for smaller
located conveniently close to The White House and just across
sums – piques the interest of incoming guests, while on
from the National Portrait Gallery in the city’s Penn Quarter
a perpendicular wall, an assortment of tassel-backed keys
business hub. In its heyday, the handsome edifice, designed
hangs in a neat arrangement like something out of a Wes
in the a la mode Richardson Romanesque architecture style,
Anderson film. Leading guests down a red-carpeted stair is
welcomed men of influence with lofty, coffered ceilings and
an imposing 2.7m coin-like medallion of Juno Moneta, the
all the adornments befitting a cathedral of wealth. While
goddess of wealth, and something of a muse for Strauss’
their husbands would wheel and deal at teller counters set
design narrative – a feminine counterpoint to the decidedly
between splendid Corinthian columns, their better halves,
masculine bones of the building.
dressed to impress, would visit with the town’s elite to be updated on all the goings-on.
050
Across the way, the always-vibrant Café Riggs occupies the imposing main banking floor where handsome teller
This scene of highbrow commingling was profoundly
windows once stood. Strauss opted to zone off the cavernous
engrained in Creative Director Jacu Strauss’ mind as he set
space, presided over by 6.7m-high ceilings, into a lobby
about creating a hub for the 21st century, transforming the
lounge, bar and a main restaurant bordered by striking
bank into a hotel for UK-based Lore Group, the hospitality
yellow banquettes. “With different seating types – high
company behind Sea Containers London. “We could have
dining, banquettes and low dining in the main body of the
stripped everything out, but we wanted to restore it and
restaurant – we created a bit of diversity that really helps
bring back its natural beauty. We never wanted to completely
break up the space,” says Strauss, who cleverly repurposed
polish it so that it looked entirely brand new, that takes
the balustrades of the teller windows as counter-height
away all the character,” says Strauss of his design approach.
seating too. The centrepiece of this space – and something
“There was a sweet but very fine line of celebrating the
of an Instagram sensation – is an imposing two-storey glass
grandeur of the space, but also making sure that it felt
case featuring a bunch of vibrant, over-scaled blooms that
comfortable and not too austere.”
burst onto the scene in full-fledged springtime splendour.
