SLDesign and //3877 Work Together to Create Washington, D.C.’s 12 Stories Lounge
It may not seem like it most of the time, but people are working together in our nation’s capital—at least in the hospitality sector. Witness 12 Stories, a penthouse lounge located high atop the InterContinental Hotel Washington, D.C.–The Wharf and operated by Gerber Group, whose completion required the cooperation of two prominent firms: Philadelphia’s SLDesign and D.C.’s //3877.
“We walked into a raw space with 12-foot-high windows on three sides, exposed concrete columns and concrete floor slab,” says SLDesign’s founder Chris Sheffield. So far so good. “The pool is on the roof above the space,” he adds. “So, finding a way to express ceiling height and imply greater volume despite all of the existing plumbing penetrations and mechanical systems above was a trick.”
The solution? “Removing a large panel of glass that cut through the venue and working around massive duct banks and existing water systems,” says David Shove-Brown, cofounder and principal of //3877. This created the possibility of large open spaces with expansive views of the Potomac and D.C. skyline, amplified by a wire mesh ceiling that creates the illusion of height—altogether a bright example of the power of collaboration.
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