The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block

Project Details

Project Description

FROM THE ARCHITECTS:

Denver’s Lower Downtown (LoDo) neighborhood is renowned for its historical brick buildings and industrial spirit. Originally developed in response to the railroad, and the manufacturing and transportation of goods along that artery, this area is now being propelled forward by the transference of ideas and invention through start-ups and creative commerce, as well as a shared sense of community around food, drink and play.

Helping usher in this new era, The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block offers a distinct experience through architecture and design that celebrates craftsmanship and the spirit of the maker – a defining element of Denver’s culture both past and present. The stylish, simple interior design of this eight-story, 172-key hotel uses a distinct palette of industrial materials including steel, wood and concrete, with pops of color and pattern that give the hotel an urban, loft feel consistent with its neighborhood context.

The intricately designed lobby, accented by custom art installations by local artists, connects a neighboring office building, two feature restaurants (Poka Lola Social Club and Kachina Southwestern Grill), and The Makers Alley (Denver’s first activated alley).

The design intentionally blurs the lines between the different spaces, finding unexpected ways to connect them. The lobby’s communal tables create a shared experience with a mix of vintage furniture and accessories. Poka Lola reimagines the typical hotel bar as an adult soda bar, featuring art deco influences and CRÈME’s Exchange Bar Chair with a custom back. Kachina reflects its Southwestern cuisine with bold tiles and colors, as well as an open kitchen and Airstream trailer that connects it to the lobby.

While the 365/24/7 lobby level serves as a ‘public living room’ for locals and visitors alike, the upper levels offer guests a taste of Denver’s independent spirit through an expression of industrial materials in their raw state.

Guestroom ceilings are exposed concrete slab, while the doors are made of unfinished steel. The beetle-kill pine panels and hand-hammered nailhead room numbers are a nod to the history of the lumberyard once located on-site and to the story of Colorado’s forests. Floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the corridors incorporate succulent gardens into the way-finding design and bring in ample natural light. The tattoo sleeves of local bartenders – makers in their own right – served as inspiration for the graphic tile design of the elevator lobbies and cabs. Large scale artwork and hanging chairs in the guestrooms add to the urban loft-feel characteristic of LoDo.

The design celebrates the juxtaposition of the industrial, rugged nature of LoDo’s past with its more playful, refined present: the raw materials of the ceilings against the polished lacquer of the bunk beds; the tattoo graphic tile design alongside the stylish murals; and the cage railing with the pinewood steps in the baseball suite. It effectively sets the tone for what this area of LoDo represents – a culmination of creativity, commerce and community in an experiential setting that will help mark a new chapter of growth and activity.