Detroit Foundation Hotel

Reimagining the former Detroit Fire Department Headquarters as a boutique hotel was more than an adaptive reuse, historic preservation project, it was an opportunity for KTGY to revitalize Detroit through true collaboration with the developer, architect and local artisans.

Entering the five-story Neoclassical building through a massive, terra cottafaced portal, guests are transported into a voluminous story-and-a-half space that once housed fire engines. Here, everything is communal and easilynavigated – from the check-in experience to the lobby and the restaurant. A vintage credenza serves as a welcoming front desk. Existing glazed brick tiles celebrate the building’s history while new finishes and lighting add modernity. An open-display kitchen and antique brass metal rail system reminiscent of a fireman’s pole highlights the strong architecture of the space as it runs through the restaurant.

A monumental custom chandelier containing 359 warm, exposed-element LED lamps and 110 pieces of hand-blown glass encircles the central bar and serves as both a lighting source and an art installation. Positioned intentionally in the direct sightline of guests is a second eye-catching chandelier – this one resembling an abstract smoke-inspired structure.

Guestrooms feature salvaged trim and moldings as a wall art installation. Fordite is artistically re-interpreted as a headboard inlay, while graphicallymanipulated photographs of Detroit landmarks grace the room as a wallcovering. A color palette of deep chocolates and metallic pastel is punctuated with pinks and blues reminiscent of 1960 automobile paint colors, adding an unexpected hue to the clean and modern guestrooms within the Detroit Foundation Hotel.

• Gina Deary - Principal

• Owner | Developer: Aparium Hotel Group
• Interior Design | Branding: KTGY
• Architect: McIntosh Poris Associates
• Artisan: Alex Porbe, Incite Design
• Artisan: Kim Harty, Chairperson, College of Creative Studies
• Photography: Joe Vaughn
• Photography: Nathan Kirkman
• Photography: Sal Rodriguez