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THE BRENT HOTEL
A Branded environments Project
DESIGN BRIEF
Built in 1906, the Brent Building is a historical cornerstone for the city of Pensacola. Located at One Palafox Place, the hub of the historic downtown area, the Brent Building stands as a symbol of the rich stories this city holds. Melding the historical significance of this building into the design of a new and modern boutique hotel that serves as a model for the cities hospitality business is the chief goal of the project. As well as focusing on brand identity through architectural details and signage and wayfinding.
OBJECTIVES
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Design a hotel that unifies the buildings historical significance with its modern intentions into a cohesive space.
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Create an elegant and unique environment for guests.
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Establish an urban destination for downtown Pensacola.
"One Palafox Place is a historic redevelopment of a century-old landmark property located in the epicenter of downtown Pensacola, Florida. The reimagined and redeveloped city block will become a mixed-use community where restaurants, retail shops, and offices will work in partnership with residential living and public gathering areas. This unique collaboration will create an “urban village” where people will live, work and play in a premier location and make One Palafox Place the focal point of downtown Pensacola’s remarkable revival."
-“One Palafox Place: Landmark Property of Pensacola, FL.” One Palafox Place | Landmark Property of Pensacola, FL, www.onepalafoxplace.com/.
The Brent Block is a truly extensive space. Encompassing 7 buildings and 200,000 square feet of commercial space, we had a lot to explore before we could begin anything. It took most of a day walking around the space, documenting everything we saw. Despite having been used previously as an office space, remnants of the buildings past were visible everywhere. With such a rich history, this served as an exciting dive into the mixed architectural styles of decades past that had remained a part of the building for almost 115 years. From this we realized our task was more curator than developer.
THE SITE
Little Bits of History
Whilst exploring the campus, the design team came across numerous historical relics. Some of which were old, and others which were REALLY old. From brass lettering and hardware that dated back to the buildings days as an office, to an old 1930's cast iron safe, to the original marble plaque from 1906, the building was rich with history. It was my job as a designer to integrate as much of the original architectural charm into the renovation as possible.
1935
1906
1920
1939
1950
1932
IDEATION
Create an elegant and unique guest experience by reimagining how a hotel should operate. What is the check-in process like? Will guests utilize an app for their hotel needs? Will the Bar also operate as the Front Desk?
Design the Hotels spaces, amenities, and rooms with a mixture of contemporary and historical decor. Design and implement signage/wayfinding and lighting for easy navigation.
Spaces will include, but are not limited to: guest rooms, downstairs lobby and art gallery, upstairs lobby and front desk, rooftop sun lounge, bathrooms, guest lounge spaces, and staff areas.
MOODBOARD
MOVING THROUGH THE BUILDING
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