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In the seven months since our last update, progress at the site of Convexity Properties' Viceroy Hotel has been moving along nicely. The Goettsch Partners-designed 18-storey tower recently topped off and now the installation of its signature undulating glass curtain wall is underway.
Built atop the site of the old Hotel Cedar (1924), whose terracotta and red-brick facade has been stored for restoration and eventual reapplication onto the podium level of the Viceroy Hotel, the new arrangement will allow for the creation of a sizeable outdoor terrace and pool deck. Hotel guests will benefit from the partial preservation of the historic facade, which will soon be applied to the base of the tower.
Featuring delicate details and an intricate mix of terracotta, brick, and stone, the heritage facade is currently undergoing a thorough cleaning and restoration process. Each piece will eventually be set into the front of the podium level, where the feature wall will greet guests as they make their way into the lobby.
Back up top, work on the tower portion of the development has been moving along, with the curtain wall now stretching from top to bottom and wrapping around part of the upper levels of the tower.
Once complete, the Viceroy Hotel will represent a positive direction for heritage. While critics may point to this as yet another example of a "facadectomy" or architectural tokenism, a more positive view of the project would take into account the retention of not only the facade, but of the original massing and utility of the structure as a hotel lobby, making the new tower more of an addition than a replacement.
SkyriseCities will be sure to return to this project as progress continues. For more information, check out the associated Database file and Forum thread, and as always, feel free to join the conversation in the comments section below.
