This sliding door from the interior of The Iron Horse Hotel strongly embodies the rehabilitation of this building. The Iron Horse Hotel, is known for taking materials from the original state of the warehouse/factory and reusing them for aesthetic purposes in the interior design of the hotel. This sliding door was originally a safety measure used in case fire caught from the factory to the warehouse. They would just slide it shut in order to prevent it from spreading so quickly. The Iron Horse now uses it for the main entrance into their restaurant, Smyth. Similarly it is the primary divide between the hotel and the restaurant. I believe this was a design aesthetic that not only incorporated original material but also was used as a symbol. That though the hotel and the restaurant are within the same building, they can reside as separate entities. Because of Smyth, local Milwaukee residents can also experience The Iron House without renting a room.
The Iron Horse's rehabilitation is a prime example of what rehabilitation should entail. Instead of merely preserving a place that could have possibly just of went unkept for years and years, the architects and designers really took into account that this space has the possibility to be used for something productive. Because the hotel supports the idea of taking old and making it new, it is clear that the sliding door sheds so much light to this notion. It is one of the first things that is seen while entering the front doors, and its bulky industrial look makes it stand out from many of the other structures within the waiting area. You can see that hotel prides itself in saving such an interesting piece of the building.
I too agree that the doorway to the smyth restaurant is a very good example of how the Iron Horse Hotel has reused the old building. It is definitely a doorway one cannot soon forget. The welded pieces of metal put together like a puzzle remind me of the industrial age and makes me think of a time when the mattress factory it used to be was booming with action. Not only the door but also the track it is on and the cream city brinks that it hangs against gives a feeling of a strong, sturdy, well built building. It makes me feel great to know that they decided to preserve such a building rather than tear it down.
ReplyDeleteThe sliding door was just one of thousands of details that went into the thought of this building. It was one of the first things I noticed along with the hanging edison bulbs hanging from the ceiling. Just another example of marrying the past and the present in one cohesive design.
ReplyDeleteWhat a cool part of this hotel - one of my favorite features also but my photo didn't turn out! Yours is great. I love that you shared what the original purpose of this door was and what it is used for now in detail. The fact that it provides such a cool aesthetic really is lucky. Or do we think of it that way because of its story? Would it just be a nice door if we didn't know the history behind it? I think the history and character add what design cannot. But here, where they work together, design ties all the loose ends and historical bits together to form a new story and to continue our history.
ReplyDeleteThat is a really good point, Brittany. I have noticed a similar instillation inside the Starbucks on Water. One time I actually asked about it, and apparently that particular sliding door was put in the coffee shop just for design and was never apart of the original structure. Excuse me for being a little melodramatic but part of me died when I found out that the door was not even functioning. I think that the history of the Iron Horse Hotel is definitely the leading factor to why that aesthetic choice was so great.
ReplyDeleteI concur. I love that they left the door intact. I think it really creates that exposure to the past and connects visually as a transition between the hotel and restaurant.
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