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July 2, 2017

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Belgian architect preserves identity and spirit of Robey

A landmark 1929 Art Deco masterpiece in America’s Windy City has seen a soulful revival — The Robey, standing stoically as the only skyscraper for kilometers in the city’s boho-chic Wicker Park neighborhood.

The Robey captures the storied past of Chicago, with a unique triangular prism shape standing out as the most recognizable landmark above the six corners of Damen, Milwaukee and North Avenue.

Chief designer behind this great hospitality project, Belgian architect Nicolas Schuybroek, said: “We did not want to impose anything on a building so emblematic to the neighborhood. The challenge was to maintain its identity and spirit through our work.”

Formally called the Northwest Tower, the building is nicknamed the Coyote Building due to its “howling” appearance. The hotel takes its name from Robey Street — the north-south artery now known as Damen Avenue, where Wicker Park and Bucktown meet. The Robey, a member of Design Hotels, is a tribute to the distinctive local landscape characterized by a strong identity and rich history.

“The idea was to embrace the existing building and more importantly the neighborhood of Wicker Park and Bucktown. What we have done here is try to create a place deeply rooted in the existing neighborhood instead of going for the regular design pattern. My understanding of the scope was to reinvent and bring new life to an iconic building,” Schuybroek said.

During the renovation process, Schuybroek considered the triangular shape as the huge challenge design wise.

“The challenge was mainly to integrate the amount of rooms in an elegant and harmonious way, so that each of 69 rooms would become unique yet similar in look and feel.”

The rooms are generously split across 12 floors, with only six or seven per floor and rooms and suites range from 20 to 63 square meters.

“The overall design could be summarized as a subtle balance of American style and pared-down, timeless almost ‘Belgian’ interiors. It’s all about apparent simplicity: a blend of old and new, European and American style, unpretentious yet elegant, timeless and warm. Every floor tells a story. It’s all about comfort and feeling at home, embracing the creative vibe and heritage of the neighborhood,” he said.

Glass, natural wood, concrete and chrome — the textures vary, but the minimalistic idea is consistent in guestrooms and public spaces.

“Textures were key items in creating the right balance, floor per floor; there’s a certain kind of grittiness in the neighborhood, and that’s precisely what we tried to extend in our material choices: distressed wooden floors, rough cement finishes, honed terrazzo, hand gloss paints ...” Schuybroek said.

He added: “The deep river paint is used throughout the building. It’s an historic color we discovered during the first visit and when salvaging the building. It’s a beautiful deep green/anthracite color. It never looks the same and that’s precisely what’s makes it fascinating.”

“‘Nighthawks’ by Edward Hopper was the defining image of where we wanted to go with this project. Many other sources defined the typical palette: mid-century American furniture from Dunbar, Edward Wormley, Harvey Prober, Paul McCobb, Milo Baughman — as well as the original materials in the building. The overall material palette is subtle and graphic balance of raw/rough materials and elegant finishes,” he said.

“Everyone knows the views of Chicago skyline taken from lake Michigan or downtown, but this is something different. Eventually the skyline and natural light became key features for the design of the interiors.

“Besides the view, one of the general highlights lies in the fact that this hotel is nothing like similar hotels in Chicago, or the States, with aggressively over-decorated themes. The whole experience is about feeling at home.”




 

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