The transformation of the upper floors of the Meier & Frank department store into the Nines hotel brings new life to an important piece of Portland’s urban fabric and architectural history. SERA devised a solution to revitalize the building which involved consolidating the department store to the first five floors, retaining the original function and retail fabric important to downtown, while accommodating a new use. For the Nines, a street level welcome lobby was integrated with the ground floor retail connecting guests to the hotel, occupying the upper nine floors. To accommodate the layout of the hotel’s 333 guestrooms, a seven story daylight atrium was cut into the building, creating a central focus space for the hotel’s lobby, bar, and restaurant. A full seismic upgrade utilizing an innovative viscous damper system was also incorporated.
Environmental considerations were a main focus of the renovation. The Nines serves as a primary example within the hospitality industry that LEED Silver Certification can be achieved in a luxury level hospitality property without compromising guest experience. Read how we did it in The Nines: A Green Hospitality Case Study (.PDF).
The design respectfully renovates an important piece of Portland’s social and architectural history while accommodating a new use, increasing environmental performance, and extending A.E. Doyle’s Meier & Frank Building’s usable life well into the future.
