The Tennessean
THE TENNESSEAN
YEAR:
2017
LOCATION:
Knoxville, TN
SIZE:
112,000 SF
AWARDS:
Keep Knoxville Beautiful Orchid Award: Redesign/Reuse Category (2018) Associated General Contractors of Tennessee Knoxville Award (2018)
2018 South's Best Hotel - Southern Living
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
The Tennessean Hotel and Residences was a renovation of a 35-year-old office building into a luxury hospitality property in downtown Knoxville, Tennessee. The building’s prominent location on the World’s Fair Park and its adjacency to the Knoxville Convention Center provided an ideal setting for the conversion.
The design concept for the project centered on creating a timeless quality similar to that of the tuxedo — black and white with gold accents became the identity for not only the building but the entire hotel brand.
The project budget and schedule were a challenge. MHM led a team that included national consultants SRSSA and HESMA along with a local construction manager through extensive value engineering to deliver the project on time.
The building’s first floor consists of an open lobby with hotel support functions. The second floor features a cocktail lounge, gym, and meeting facilities. Floors three through five contain 82 luxurious boutique guest rooms culminating in an impressive Governors Suite overlooking the park. The top two floors of the building house 12 luxury condominium residences that offer 24/7 hotel services and amenities.
While the client was not interested in a LEED certification, the design team concentrated on optimizing energy performance, local material selections, water use reduction, access to transportation, and other sustainable factors.
PHOTO CREDIT:
Denise Retallack