AC BY MARRIOTT + RÉSIDENCE HÔTELIÈRE, STRASBOURG WACKEN
A belvedere overlooking the city
In Strasbourg's Wacken business district, opposite Place Adrien Zeller, lot 5 includes a 170 room, 4-star “AC by Marriott” hotel complex, an 80-room, 4-star “Element by Westin” hotel residence, two office buildings with ground-floor shops and a public parking lot.
The entire program occupies the contours of the right-of-way to leave a landscaped, open and accessible heart of the block, so as to enrich the landscaping of the Allée du Printemps to the south, from Place Adrien Zeller (headquarters of the Grand Est regional council) to the foot of the European Parliament. This unitary block is then extruded and sculpted to house the various functions.
To the north, along Boulevard de Dresde, the hotel complex forms a built front with a large terrace facing south, overlooking the heart of the block and the historic city. To the west, an emergence clearly distinguishes the hotel from neighbouring buildings, and signals it from the square. Like a figurehead, it serves as an urban landmark and accommodates convivial spaces. The overall volume of the complex is sculpted in its thickness to erase the effect of mass and create a slenderness. With its softened angles, the bow evokes the “ocean liner” imagery and invites to travel for one or more nights.
To create a relationship with the Boulevard de Dresden, the facade expresses a horizontal geometry with a sense of fluidity: rounded corners, alternating bands of transparent glass and composite metal panels that encircle the building in a gradation of colors and hollow joints that emphasize horizontality, asserting a certain evanescence as the building rises.
On the top level, the belvedere overlooking the city houses the restaurant, seminar rooms, fitness center, as well as a large terrace and bar (200 m²). The ubiquitous glass plays with transparency through silk-screened patterns of varying density. The prominence of the openings changes the perception of the building as soon as night falls, differentiating the hotel from the residence.
On the upper floors, a double circulation around the central core serves the rooms. In this way, the two programs are connected to facilitate operation.
To the east, the parking lot merges with the hotel and office buildings (DRLW architects) up to the third level.
