Project Details
- Project Name
- The Statler
- Architect
- Merriman Anderson/Architects
- Client/Owner
- Centurion American Development
- Project Types
- Multifamily
- Project Scope
- Renovation/Remodel
- Shared by
- Allison Chaney
- Project Status
- Built
- Style
- Other
Project Description
The Statler opened in 1956 as a 1001-room hotel, convention center, and gathering place for the “Who’s Who” to lodge when visiting Downtown Dallas, Texas. The hotel was set to open as “The Statler”, but was acquired by Hilton during construction and officially opened as “The Statler Hilton”. New York Architect, William Tabler, employed advanced, cutting edge design to complete the mid-century masterpiece including cantilevered slabs, a thin glass and aluminum curtainwall system made entirely in Texas, HVAC distribution expressed on the exterior, a 14,000 SF column-free ballroom, Westinghouse TV’s in every guestroom, elevator music, and a heliport. The Statler was an integral part of the Dallas culture and hosted notable guests including the Jackson Five and Tina Turner. The building, along with the Old Dallas Central Library, occupy an entire city block and are considered one of the best examples of mid-century architecture in the region. The hotel had its last occupancy in 2001 and was listed on the National Park Service “Top Ten Most Endangered Building” list in the country. After many failed redevelopment attempts, the Statler was acquired by Centurion American Development in 2015 and has been renovated and reimagined as a truly multi-purpose, historic, adaptive re-use project. The Ownership and design team engaged Hilton to authorize “The Statler” name to once again be re-introduced for the building. The Statler now features a 159-room Curio Hilton Hotel and 219 luxury rental apartments. Building amenities include a 14,000 SF ballroom, 7,000 SF meeting space, 6 food and beverage venues, 2 rooftop pool decks, ground floor lease space, and a 250-space interior parking garage. The attached Old Dallas Central Library now houses the new home of The Dallas Morning News. The project has energized and reactivated a derelict portion of downtown and serve a connection between the Central Business District, Arts District, Farmers Market, and Deep Ellum. MAA and the Owner worked with the National Park Service and the Texas Historical Commission to preserve and restore the character defining features of the historic building. On the exterior, the glass curtainwall, brick, and stone were repaired and restored. Molded porcelain enamel panels were cleaned and color matched touch-ups were applied over the façade of the building. Molded Aztec-style cast stone blocks were restored with missing block replicated. Exterior storefronts and glazing were selectively repaired and/or replaced with new tempered glazing to match the original. The entire building roofing was replaced, and the exterior envelope was restored and waterproofed. Two new exterior pool and amenity areas were constructed in the place of former roof areas and a heliport. A new grand entry porte-cochere was constructed to replicate the original that had been removed in previous renovations. Finally, new exterior signage was installed in keeping with the original historic configuration. The Owner, design and engineering team, City of Dallas City Design Studio, City of Dallas Traffic and Mobility Planning, and adjacent property owners collaborated to drive a city initiative of an enhanced street frontage and pedestrian experience. The sidewalk along Commerce street was extended one lane north to provide additional sidewalk; streetscape including street trees, lighting, and site furnishings; metered parking; sidewalk dining; an additional valet lane; and an enhanced DART bus stop area. On the interior ground and second floor public space, carpet and tile were removed to expose the original black terrazzo, which was painstakingly repaired and restored. Stone wall cladding, glass and wood railings, molded block, and stone planters were also repaired and restored. New gypsum board ceilings were installed to match the details of the original 1956 construction plans. On the lower levels, a new residential entry and motor court was introduced from Jackson Street. Basement levels were repurposed as parking from old mechanical and hotel back of house spaces. In the building tower, the design team worked around existing columns, windows, and corridor placement for the new hotel and residential use. Levels 3-7 were designated as the hotel guestroom floors. Two of the original 200 SF shoe-box New York style hotel rooms were combined for a larger, luxurious guestroom. Levels 8-18 were reimaged as 219 apartments ranging from hotel room-size efficiency units to large penthouse residences. For all levels, the original hotel corridor was replicated included width, door locations, and door design. Whole building utilities and infrastructure were replaced and modernized including elevators, lighting, electrical, plumbing, mechanical, and life safety systems. Due to the low floor to floor heights of the existing tower (8’-4” clear between floors), strategies were employed to allow conversion of these levels to residential apartments. Mechanical systems were distributed vertically (in lieu of horizontally) through new fire rated shafts. All building systems were held within 7’-6” clear ceiling furr-downs at the apartment entries so that the ceilings could remain high for most of the apartment to the exterior window walls. New finishes, furnishings, light fixtures, and art was introduced with the building renovation interior design to complement the existing architecture. Artwork original to the building, including a 40-foot long mural and an 8-foot-tall sculpture, were discovered during construction and were restored and reinstalled by local preservationist Michael vanEnter. Dallas, once again, is welcomed to experience the art, architecture, and hospitality of the Statler.