The Marquette Hotel Entry Renovation

The Marquette Hotel Entry Renovation, located at the IDS Center in downtown Minneapolis, solves issues of image, visibility, shelter and entry in a manner that is consistent with the language and vocabulary of this historically significant landmark building.

Designed by Philip Johnson, the IDS Center was completed in 1972 and is anchored by a 57-story office tower and the 19-story Marquette Hotel. Although the hotel has a prominent presence on a major intersection in downtown, the actual entry is tucked into a corner of the building. It was necessary for the new entry to create a strong street presence for the hotel while relating to the architectural vocabulary of the existing building. The project also sought to address issues of the public realm by creating a gateway to the Crystal Court, the heart of the IDS Center and one of the most significant public spaces in Minneapolis.

Designers felt it was important for the new canopy to serve as both an entry for the hotel and a gateway into the Crystal Court, especially since the lobby of the hotel connects directly into the Crystal Court. The white grid of steel channels and glass panels on the new entry foreshadow the steel grid support structure and skylights of the Crystal Court roof in form, color, materials, and detailing.

The canopies themselves consist simply of glass and steel. Pipe hangers suspended from wide flange and double channel beams support the grid of steel and glass. The wide flange beams are painted a dark bronze to blend with the exterior of the IDS building and make the canopy plane appear to float.