Richmond’s first AC hotel to be designed by nbj Architecture.

An in house rendering by nbj Architecture.

With a booming boutique hotel industry in Richmond, Virginia, we were excited about the opportunity to introduce AC hotel to the downtown scene. The project is located on a beautiful but restrictive site sandwiched between the canal walk and the James river in downtown Richmond. Retail will line the Riverwalk with a parking garage taking over the majority of the first and second floor. Hotel functions mainly operate on the 3rd through 6th floors and a rooftop restaurant and bar will share the 7th and 8th floors with custom condominiums.

Building design on the AC hotel challenged us to fill a variety of needs. Beyond satisfying the myriad of functions within the hotel through a cohesive building design, we wanted to preserve the contemporary flavor of the AC hotel while still respecting the more traditional architectural style found along the canal walk. Traditional brick detailing in a contemporary blue/black color on the parking and canal walk levels provide a beautiful meld of the old and the new. Fresh white metal panels and walls of glass sit atop the brick pedestal for a clean modern design. A vast rooftop bar promises stunning views of both downtown the James River. Careful setbacks and height considerations ensure that the building maintains a pedestrian scale as the building provides an extension to the existing river walk along the canal.