Element Moline
Adaptive reuse project transforms century-old warehouse/distribution facility into eco-friendly hotel brand’s Illinois debut
A retrofit converts the historic O’Rourke Building, a former Sears Roebuck & Company warehouse built in 1917, into the 96-room Element Moline extended stay hotel. The public-private partnership challenged the hotel design team to meet preservation requirements from the National Park Service, while capturing Element’s eco-friendly image in the brand’s first adaptive reuse project . . . and its first property in Illinois. The existing 60,000-square-foot structure holds 65% of guest rooms, and a 22,000-square-foot addition houses the remainder.
Element Moline ties into a transit-oriented development called The Q. The hotel renovation includes 16,000 square feet of retail/restaurant space, along with a new glass pavilion that serves as the rail station’s grand hall on the east side.
HIGHLIGHTS
- Interiors pay tribute to the facility’s industrial origins
- Design exposes original facility’s columns, ceilings, and floors
- Exterior repairs restore Art Deco façade and entry
- Glass pavilion serves as connecting train station’s great hall
- Courtyard features firepit, catenary lighting, and mural featuring 1950s-era aerial photo of downtown Moline