3rd June 2020 | IN HOTEL DESIGN | BY SBID Share Tweet Pinterest LinkedIn Project of the Week This week’s instalment of the #SBIDinspire interior design series features a hotel public space designed by Studio K Creative to feel like a beautiful, private estate. Hotel Zachary is inspired by Wrigley Field’s original architect, Zachary Taylor Davis. The charming floor plan includes a central bar, which creates an intuitive path that takes guests on a walk reminiscent of Davis’ own home by incorporating his family heirlooms, repurposing his architectural sketches into key art pieces and paying homage to his love story with details that honour his wife, Alma, and their children. Hotel Zachary is an authentic design that represents a piece of Chicago history. SBID Awards Category: Hotel Public Space Sponsored by Viva Lagoon Practice: Studio K Creative Project: Hotel Zachary Location: Illinois, United States What was the client’s brief? With a location across the street from Wrigley Field, the client envisioned a hotel inspired by the original architect of the ballpark, Zachary Taylor Davis. They approached Studio K with the desire to create a lobby that would act as a warm and inviting community space that felt authentic to Chicago’s history. The goal was to establish an approachable, versatile home base for visitors looking for a classic Chicago neighbourhood experience. What inspired the interior design of the project? Hotel Zachary is inspired by Wrigley Field’s original architect, Zachary Taylor Davis. What was the toughest hurdle your team overcame during the project? The greatest design challenge was creating a space adaptable enough for guests to enjoy a cozy breakfast, important business lunch or hip happy hour all within the same central area. The lobby had to move seamlessly from day to night. To achieve this transition, we worked meticulously with lighting designers to get the levels correct for different hours and functions, effectively creating varying atmospheres depending on the time of day. What was your highlight of the project? Since this was a legacy project, our team worked very closely with Zachary’s family to ensure the design was genuine and deeply personal. It was very touching working on a project that involved a person with historical significance. We met with his family descendants, went through their photographs, his original sketches, his original blueprints and assorted artefacts that were passed down, including love letters between Zachary and his wife, Alma. All of these pieces were either incorporated into key art through the space or inspired various design choices. There was a lot of storytelling weaved through the process which made the outcome truly authentic. Why did you enter the SBID Awards? Hotel Zachary means a great deal to the city of Chicago since it celebrates a piece of history and elevated the neighbourhood around it. We are very proud that our first completed public space in a hotel has received such an overwhelmingly positive reaction from locals and visitors alike, and wanted to bring it into an international market. Questions answered by Karen Herold, Principal and Alicia Kelly, Senior Designer at Studio K Creative. We hope you feel inspired by this week’s Hotel Design! Let us know what inspired you #SBIDinspire If you missed last week’s Project of the Week, featuring a luxurious Italian Villa, click here to see more.