PHILADELPHIA, Pa.—Windsor Suites, a Modus Hotel, is set to unveil a multi-million dollar renovation that will pay homage to Benjamin Franklin and the city’s rich historic past.
Windsor Suites, located in downtown Philadelphia, is steps away from renowned arts and cultural destinations such as The Philadelphia Museum of Art, Comcast Center, and Rittenhouse Square. The property will offer guests a unique and interactive experience highlighted by a range of design and artistic features in an environment that serves as the physical convergence of hospitality and contemporary art, architecture and technology. Seattle-based Dawson Design Associates (DDA) spearheaded the renovation and creative concepts with an aesthetic inspired by the spirit of ingenuity of U.S. Founding Father and innovator Benjamin Franklin.
“At the new Windsor Suites, inspiration is all around,” says General Manager Mike Roberts. “The notion of science and play touches every corner of the renovated spaces allowing for creativity to prosper in these surroundings. We are delighted with a design and décor theme and execution that brings the property to a modern state while paying homage to the city.”
Technology and science are at the heart of the Windsor Suites experience. From entry to lobby to guest and meeting rooms, the property’s revamp reflects a contemporary and imaginative approach to modern urban living. Designed with a spirt of discovery and innovation, the Windsor Suites experience begins with a tiered lobby that radiates around a 40-foot-tall spiraling light sculpture reflective of the DNA of the city. Lighting is a key design element and the hotel’s custom, three-story chandelier and floor lamp were designed to spark conversation and set the tone for the overall setting.
The hotel’s lobby seating is designed to accommodate the independent spirt of its guests with cozy nooks and high-tech lighting, wrapped in rich wood paneled ceilings and floating glass walls. These nooks provide the perfect venue for private meetings or intimate private parties. Additional interactive and relaxing communal spaces are located on both the reception and mezzanine levels, both with sleek décor and accents.
Wrapping itself high above the lobby, the new ‘catwalk’ mezzanine provides an intimate perch where guests can relax in semi-privacy or simply watch the action below. Two new contemporary meeting rooms and pre-function spaces along with a new boardroom with built-in window bench seating and a sophisticated private entrance also welcome a new look fostering creativity.
Modern furniture is placed throughout the public spaces, accented with playful pieces that harken to Philadelphia’s colonial past. White glass panels inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s printing press flank the elevator walls and are lit by a sleek modern custom light fixture; an artistic rendition of electricity circumventing the globe. Sculptures inspired by kinetics are recessed into architectural niches framing an elegant curved wall. Masonic symbolism is introduced into entry way area carpets, serving as another whimsical nod to the nation’s colonial heritage.
Guestrooms at the Windsor are comprised of spacious two-room residential suites complete with kitchen and formal living room. Many feature private balconies overlooking the spectacular cityscape of Logan Square and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The hotel also features a roof top pool and social space that is currently in design development for a major renovation to be completed in 2017.
The hotel hallways feature elegant lighting fixtures, antique mirrors, and decorative wall coverings. More than a dozen works of art, some of which are custom creations, will adorn public spaces, guest rooms and meeting rooms, including works themed around the progression of the printing press, the light bulb, and its reference to the creation of electricity and a visually stunning physics wall in homage to Franklin’s many inventions.
