Hotel specialist Richmond International has converted an iconic Mies van der Rohe-designed tower in Chicago into a luxury Langham hotel.
The project, for the Langham Hotel Group, is a refurbishment of floors 2-13 of the 52-storey tower, designed originally as offices. The new five star hotel has 320 rooms and suites plus a spa, restaurants, bars and function rooms.
Originally known as IBM Plaza, the building was completed in 1970 and was the last skyscraper that Mies’ designed. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2008 and entered into the National Register of Historic Places.
Langham Chicago is the third Langham in the United States, and reflects the luxurious splendour of the original Langham hotel in London (which in 1865 was the first hotel to serve afternoon tea). Highlights include the Palm Court-inspired Pavilion, the Devonshire Ballroom and a 1500sq m Chuan Spa – Langham’s signature spa – which is founded on the principles of traditional Chinese medicine and uses a Chinese influenced aesthetic with gold leaf, lacquer and bamboo to create a relaxing, contemplative atmosphere.
As a protected structure, the exterior and lower two levels of the building could not be significantly altered. However, working with architects Goettsch Partners, Richmond was able to cut new spaces into the Miesian plan to create double height ceilings throughout the main public spaces to allow the light and the cityscapes to become part of the interior architecture. With an average size of 43sq m, hotel guestrooms are among the most generous in the city and offer magnificent views towards Lake Michigan, the Chicago River and downtown Chicago.
Overall, Richmond’s design challenge was to create a series of interiors in character with Langham’s traditional design sensibility yet set in an iconic Mid-Century modern building.
Richmond Principal, Fiona Thompson said:
“We wanted to create an environment that was tied to the Mid-Century modern world, but not a Mies museum. We had to reinterpret the interior standards, presenting the traditional Langham brand in a more contemporary way. The IBM Building is about clean and simple lines and very rich materials, so we took these elements and wove them into the hotel’s interior design scheme.”
Inspired by the original design, Richmond used a simple materials palette of granite, travertine, glass and bronze in combination with a light, fresh colour scheme and an emphasis on luxurious layering and texture in the furnishings. The light-colored travertine found in the hotel’s lobby is carried through to the guestroom bathrooms, with bronze detailing interspersed throughout the bedrooms.
As well as Number 268 standard rooms there are an additional 48 suites. Two signature suites, The Infinity Suite and The Regent Suite, each span 2,600 sq. ft. The two-bedroom, 12th-floor Infinity Suite with its blond woods and Modernist furniture was inspired by the 1940s and 1950s during the era of the Mid-Century modern trend, yet influenced by the stylish lines of the era. It features a 1940s-inspired cantilever desk, mustard yellow baby grand, honey onyx fireplace, and furnishings offering a classical modern elegance. The 11th-floor Regent Suite mirrors the layout of the Infinity Suite, and has a classical design with more traditional furnishings accented by a stunning Indian lilac marble in the master bathroom.
“Soft modernity runs throughout the hotel,” said Thompson. “We felt it was important to create calm, residential and warm feeling; a living, breathing environment that was not intimidating, but presented a level of luxury that everyone could enjoy.
