Renaissance Grand

St. Louis, MO

The Renaissance Grand Hotel originally opened as the famed Statler Hotel Group, with 315 "modern" guest rooms. The building is significant as St. Louis' most lavish example of a now ubiquitous phenomenon-the "chain" hotel. Considered restrained yet elegant in the aftermath of Victorian eclecticism, the neoclassical design by George W. Post and Sons of New York received an award from the St. Louis Art League as the best work of architecture completed in the city in 1917.

ForrestPerkins guided the interior design of the original Statler as well as the interior architecture and design for the 600-room second tower and the 55,000 square foot ballroom and meeting facility located atop the adjacent parking structure. The design reflects the historic nature of the property, with richly colored fabrics and updated traditional furnishing showcased against strong neoclassical backgrounds.

Importantly, the original lobby, now the signature restaurant Post and Sons, has been restored to its original character. The plaster ceiling elements were re-cast from the decaying original. Column capitals were likewise re-cast and the original marble walls and floors were cleaned and polished, all to National Park Service standards. Likewise the historic rooftop ballroom, with its panoramic views of the Mississippi River and the city, is once again a sparkling gem of a room, restored to its neoclassic glory. In both spaces, ForrestPerkins worked with historic architects at RTKL, Washington DC and Dallas, to design interior elements such as elaborate window treatments, elegant carpets and historically accurate decorative light fixtures that enhance the historic details without overpowering them.