Legat Architects
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Intermodal Archetype

The Element Moline exemplifies transit-oriented development that reduces reliance on automobiles:

  • Hotel connects to retailers, restaurants, entertainment venues, and a future passenger rail
  • Bus transfer station located across the street
  • Destinations within walking distance of hotel include many restaurants, a 12,000-seat multipurpose arena, an agricultural museum, and the Great River Trail that runs along the Mississippi River
  • Hotel “Bikes to Borrow” program provides bicycles to guests

Façade Restoration

The six-story Art Deco brick façade was restored to the 1950s appearance by removing pebble dash and rebuilding a properly proportioned storefront and entry.

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Respectful Expansion

The addition takes cues from the original building’s spacing, patterning, massing, and proportions. Hardie board, a cost-effective cementitious siding material, complements the brick of the original facility.

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Welcome

Guests enter through a covered drop-off area and arrive at a light-filled seating area.

Industrial Aesthetic

Custom-designed bamboo backdrops hold television monitors without closing off the space. Black iron piping supports the backdrops, while providing routing of electrical and cable wiring.

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Modifying a Prototype

The design fits a brand prototype into a non-prototypical facility by exposing elements of the existing facility to reinforce the brand’s sustainable image. Here, booth seating creates a backdrop to the breakfast dining area.

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Seating for Every Purpose

Sectional seating and millwork create a buffer to large community-style tables, where guests can congregate in large groups or spread out work documents.

Interiors Tell the Story

Interiors emphasize texture and minimize color to celebrate the facility’s industrial origins. Guests encounter a variety of aesthetic nuances that tell the building’s story: concrete floors and columns, brick walls, and ceilings that display the original concrete structural deck.

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Courtyard

An internal courtyard features a 1950s-era aerial photo of downtown Moline (including the hotel’s original manifestation).

Metal Bracing Makes an Impact

Each renovated room exposes a different part of the original building. In this room, exposed Chevron braced frames add a contemporary twist, while celebrating the original building by reinforcing the brick walls.

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Energy Efficiency

Metal stud drywall was added to lower parts of exposed brick walls in the rooms to reduce the toll on heating and cooling systems.

Millennial and Sustainable

Element Moline was designed and constructed to appeal to a Millennial and sustainable mindset. For instance, lobby artwork features recycled bicycle parts and tennis rackets that support the eco-conscious brand.

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