{"id":225172,"date":"2024-04-26T16:02:12","date_gmt":"2024-04-26T20:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=225172"},"modified":"2024-04-26T16:02:16","modified_gmt":"2024-04-26T20:02:16","slug":"the-morrow-hotel-washington-dc-inc-architecture-design-rottet-studio","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/the-morrow-hotel-washington-dc-inc-architecture-design-rottet-studio\/","title":{"rendered":"Get a Much-Needed Dose of Optimism at This Washington, D.C. Hotel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\"hotel
Concrete side tables, custom seating, and Bon Vivant ottomans form a terrace lounge at Upstairs, the hotel\u2019s rooftop bar. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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April 26, 2024<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Rebecca Dalzell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Eric Laignel<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Get a Much-Needed Dose of Optimism at This Washington, D.C. Hotel<\/h1>\n\n\n

Dysfunction in government. A pandemic. An uncertain economy. The Morrow Hotel<\/a>, a recently opened property in Washington, is an antidote to the national\u2014and global\u2014malaise. The name alone evokes better days ahead. But it\u2019s the fresh, light scheme that conveys the optimism of the new brand, part of the Curio Collection by Hilton. That\u2019s thanks to two of Interior Design<\/em>\u2019s Hospitality Giants: Rottet Studio<\/a>, ranked 40th on that list, and INC Architecture & Design<\/a>, 42nd, which conceived the private and public areas, respectively. Though the firms worked independently, they created differentiated spaces with warmth and character that form a remarkably cohesive whole.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 149,000-square-foot, 12-story hotel is part of Central Armature Works, a new mixed-use development in the formerly industrial NoMa neighborhood. Construction by the client, developer Trammell Crow Company, began in 2019, and its team initially envisioned a dark and luxurious atmosphere that gestured to the gritty location by the train tracks. But the pandemic soon scrambled that plan. Trammell Crow hired creative agency Revolver to rethink the hotel for the COVID era, and the resulting brand book became the basis for the interiors. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"lobby
The lobby of The Morrow Hotel in Washington by INC Architecture & Design, which oversaw public spaces, and Rottet Studio, which conceived the 203 guest rooms and the conference center, sets the tone of the 12-story new-build, where spaces evoke different times of day, in this instance, a clear, bright morning. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all agreed that we needed something positive: airy, open, and joyful,\u201d begins Adam Rolston, INC founding partner and creative and managing director. He, cofounding partner and construction and development director Drew Stuart, and their team oversaw the concepts for the lobby; Le Clou, a modern brasserie and the hotel\u2019s main restaurant; the 11th-floor cocktail lounge, Vesper; and Upstairs, the rooftop bar and terrace. The 203 guest rooms and the conference center, totaling 16,500 square feet of meeting areas, are by Rottet Studio\u2014which also ranks 67th among the top 100 Giants<\/a> and 80th for Sustainability Giants<\/a>\u2014led by Interior Design<\/em> Hall of Fame member<\/a> and founding principal Lauren Rottet. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The firms rarely consulted each other during the process, Rolston says, \u201cbut we arrived at the same place.\u201d That\u2019s because both took a holistic slant that extended the brand identity into the physical environment. \u201cDespite designing a hotel during the pandemic, almost entirely over video calls, the project was a seamless collaboration,\u201d Stuart recalls. \u201cIt\u2019s a prime example of our communitarian approach.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dining
Custom ceiling fixtures and creamy marble tabletops lend a celestial feel to Le Clou\u2019s dining room. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

INC, also 123rd amid the Rising Giants and 68th for Sustainability, has a growing portfolio of hospitality projects that includes the nearby Line Hotel and the 1 Hotel Brooklyn Bridge in New York. While the former occupies a century-old church, the Morrow is in a ground-up building. Rolston and Stuart began by studying the area to create a sense of place, visiting such disparate local sites as the Lincoln Memorial, Union Market, and Manifest, a club\/ barbershop. \u201cIt\u2019s always a heavy lift to bring real personality to a new-build, but it\u2019s what we enjoy doing,\u201d Rolston continues. The city\u2019s neoclassical architecture inspired fluted coffee tables and oak millwork that wraps columns. In the lobby, ribbed-glass panels have a celadon hue taken from the conservatory at the United States Botanic Garden, about a mile away. The district\u2019s low-key culture informed the comfortable yet luxurious setting.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of Revolver\u2019s ideas was that spaces should evoke different times of day, depending on when they\u2019re used, transitioning from light to dark. \u201cIt was poetic and became the core driver of the project,\u201d Rolston notes. The lobby\u2019s sky blue\u2013upholstered sofa, white travertine flooring, and bleached millwork channel morning. In clubby Vesper, the same millwork is stained midnight blue, and navy mohair armchairs, dark travertine-and-walnut tables, and oak parquet are more nighttime. At the rooftop bar Upstairs, the green, blue, and orange palette comes straight from a photograph of the National Mall at dusk. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vesper
Custom mohair-covered armchairs, cocktail tables in walnut and travertine, and oak parquet instill an evening vibe at Vesper.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Guest rooms have the bright, crisp look of midday. \u201cThey\u2019re meant to feel calm and relaxing, reflecting the idea of how the colors of the sun change your perception of the city,\u201d Rottet picks up the thread. She and her studio created quartz-topped nightstands, maple-veneered credenzas, and ombr\u00e9 wallpaper reminiscent of drifting clouds. Rottet\u2014who\u2019s designed hotels everywhere from Lubbock, Texas, to Hong Kong plus dozens of ships for Viking Cruises\u2014explains that, \u201cIt\u2019s always our goal to make interiors animated like the outdoors, and not static.\u201d This instinct aligned with the brand\u2019s emphasis on the times of day. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rottet also aimed to indicate movement. The idea sprang from the train tracks, the repetitive rhythm of local bay windows, and turntables (the Beatles played their first U.S. concert around the corner from the site). This led to the ribbing of the lacquered-wood wainscotting\u2014that coincidentally mirrors INC\u2019s fluted columns\u2014and wool rugs with speckled patterns. In the ballroom, polished-bronze petals glint under a grand ceiling fixture, its circular shape evoking Washington\u2019s historic rotundas. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"ballroom
More art installation than light fixture, polished bronze and gesso-textured petals hang from the ceiling in the ballroom, where Rottet\u2019s custom rug is hand-tufted wool and nylon. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Bill Brewer, a senior vice president at Trammell Crow, says his company hired two different firms for logistical reasons, but it proved to be fortuitous. \u201cWe didn\u2019t have to worry about things getting too uniform,\u201d he says. But there\u2019s still continuity: \u201cDesign elements travel through the spaces in an effective way.\u201d He points to the cove lights in the lobby and Le Clou, where cast-gypsum circles are plastered to drywall ceiling panels to form shapes that resemble celestial bodies. Derived from column capitals, the fixtures are placed randomly in the lobby and symmetrically in the more formal restaurant. In both places, they seem to signal that there is upward momentum.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peek Inside The Morrow Hotel in Washington, D.C.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"lobby
Acid-etched ribbed-glass panels surround the linen- and leather-upholstered sofas, which are custom by INC, while flooring is travertine and the ceiling cast gypsum. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"corner
Custom pendant fixtures and stools serve the marble-topped bar at Le Clou brasserie, the hotel\u2019s main restaurant.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"glassfront
A tinted-glass storefront leads to the 11th-floor cocktail lounge, Vesper. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hotel
Concrete side tables, custom seating, and Bon Vivant ottomans form a terrace lounge at Upstairs, the hotel\u2019s rooftop bar. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"interior
Inside Upstairs, where furnishings are all custom, there are views out to Capitol Hill. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"meeting
Rottet outfitted a meeting room in the conference center with Ames chairs and Thin Single Float sconces. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"lobby
The lobby\u2019s column millwork in fluted bleached white oak. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"dining
A niche in the dining area of the Burnham suite. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"floor
Le Clou\u2019s floor of travertine mosaic tile and engineered oak<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"blue
A custom velvet-covered lounge chair at Vesper. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"custom
Rottet\u2019s custom mirror in a suite. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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\"prefunction
Allied Maker\u2019s Trimless sconce, Bernhardt & Vella\u2019s Yoisho chair, and a custom side table in a prefunction corridor. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"white
Travertine treads and risers flanked by painted drywall balustrades and stainless-steel pipe handrails lead from the hotel lobby to the conference center. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"hotel
Allied Maker\u2019s Aperture sconce illuminates a custom quartz-topped nightstand in the main bedroom of the Burnham, the hotel\u2019s largest suite; the New Zealand wool rug is also custom. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"living
A leather-backed sofa circles a Corbett table in its living room. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"dining
A custom light-art fixture faces Ellipses dining chairs in the Burnham\u2019s dining area. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"standard
Custom wallpaper evokes moving clouds in a standard guest room. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"guest
Limestone mosaic tiles floor a guest bathroom, where the vanity and mirror are custom. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

INC ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN:<\/strong> GABRIEL BENROTH; TYLER KLECK; MEGAN MCGING; MARISSA ZANE; AMY CAHILL; JOSELYN DONTFRAID; BILLY ABRAMENKO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ROTTET STUDIO:<\/strong> DAVID DAVIS; JAMES CULL; JOE JELINEK; ASHLEY LIU; CHRIS EVANS; NOGA SMERKOWITZ; SNEHA KODI; RATHA SANGWORRAWUTTHIKRI; STACY RAPA; SIMONA FURINI; FELIPE COSIO. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SHALOM BARANES ASSOCIATES:<\/strong> ARCHITECT OF RECORD. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

REVOLVER:<\/strong> GRAPHICS, BRANDING. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PDI LIGHTING:<\/strong> LIGHTING CONSULTANT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CARDNO HAYNES WHALEY; STANTEC:<\/strong> STRUCTURAL ENGINEERS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

INTERFACE ENGINEERING:<\/strong> MEP. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

WILES MENSCH CORPORATION:<\/strong> CIVIL ENGINEER. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

AWM GROUP:<\/strong> MILLWORK, ACID-ETCHED GLASSWORK. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SOHO MYRIAD:<\/strong> ART CONSULTANT. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CLARK CONSTRUCTION GROUP:<\/strong> GENERAL CONTRACTOR. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PRODUCT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n

FROM FRONT KINGS COMMERCIAL INTERIORS:<\/strong> CUSTOM SOFAS (LOBBY, UPSTAIRS).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

COMPOSITION HOSPITALITY:<\/strong> CUSTOM LOUNGE CHAIRS, CUSTOM OTTOMANS (LOBBY, VESPER), CUSTOM STOOLS (LE CLOU BAR), CUSTOM SOFAS, CUSTOM CHAIRS (TERRACE), CUSTOM CHAIRS (UPSTAIRS). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

MUNNWORKS:<\/strong> CUSTOM COCKTAIL TABLES (LOBBY, VESPER, UPSTAIRS), CUSTOM TABLES (LE CLOU), CUSTOM MIRRORS (BURNHAM SUITE, BATHROOM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

NEW YORK STONE:<\/strong> BAR TOP (LE CLOU BAR). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TEAK WAREHOUSE:<\/strong> CONCRETE SIDE TABLE (TERRACE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JANUS ET CIE:<\/strong> OTTOMANS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

DISTRICT EIGHT DESIGN:<\/strong> CHAIRS (MEETING ROOM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

JUNIPER DESIGN GROUP:<\/strong> SCONCES. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

I-WORKS:<\/strong> CUSTOM CEILING FIXTURE (BALLROOM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

TRIBECA STONE:<\/strong> FLOOR TILE (LE CLOU). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

SMARTWOOD:<\/strong> CUSTOM WOOD FLOORING. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ALLIED MAKER:<\/strong> SCONCES (PREFUNCTION HALL, BURNHAM SUITE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

POTOCCO:<\/strong> CHAIR (PREFUNCTION HALL), STOOLS (BURNHAM SUITE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PROVIDENTIAL METALS:<\/strong> HANDRAILS (STAIR). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

ARTISTIC FRAME:<\/strong> DINING CHAIRS (BURNHAM SUITE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BERMANFALK HOSPITALITY GROUP:<\/strong> CUSTOM CREDENZA, CUSTOM TABLE (BURNHAM SUITE), CUSTOM BEDS, CUSTOM NIGHTSTANDS (GUEST ROOMS), CUSTOM VANITY (BATHROOM). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

CHARTER FURNITURE:<\/strong> ARMCHAIR, OTTOMAN (GUEST ROOM), CUSTOM BENCH, CUSTOM SOFA (BURNHAM SUITE).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

WESTWOOD AVENUE HOSPITALITY:<\/strong> CUSTOM SOFA (SUITE). <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BURKE DECOR:<\/strong> TABLE. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

THROUGHOUT MAPLE TILE AND TERRAZZO:<\/strong> STONE FLOORING. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

RELATIVE SPACE:<\/strong> CUSTOM PARQUET FLOORING. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

HB LIGHTING:<\/strong> CUSTOM LIGHT FIXTURES. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

LOLOEY:<\/strong> CUSTOM RUGS. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

PHILLIP JEFFRIES; WOLF-GORDON:<\/strong> WALLCOVERING. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

COUNTY DRAPERIES:<\/strong> CUSTOM DRAPES. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

BENJAMIN MOORE & CO.:<\/strong> PAINT. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n