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Travel + Leisure
2 days ago
- Business
- Travel + Leisure
This 1907 Warehouse in Seattle Was Just Transformed Into a Luxury Hotel—and T+L Was the First to Stay
Populus Seattle The adaptive reuse design preserves the 1907 warehouse's original Douglas fir beams and brickwork while slashing the building's carbon footprint. Rooms feel like a cocoon, wrapped in original brick, deeply saturated walls, and art that filters into the private spaces from the hotel at large through framed prints and even pour-over coffee packets. The fire-and-ice concept of the food and drink program spans from the signature restaurant Salt Harvest's oak and almond wood hearth to the rooftop cocktail bar Firn, where glacier-inspired cocktails are made with crushed, shaved, and faceted ice. All the artwork is for sale, turning the hotel into a working gallery and a stop on Pioneer Square's First Thursdays, the longest-running art walk in the country. The hotel anchors RailSpur, a placemaking project that's adding fuel to Pioneer Square's evolution by transforming former service alleys into pedestrian corridors lined with public art, shops, and cocktail bars. Opened in late May after two years of construction, Populus Seattle is already making an impression with its regenerative design, expansive art program, and deep ties to the neighborhood. Housed in the 1907 Westland Building, a former steam supply warehouse, the hotel anchors RailSpur, a placemaking initiative that connects three historic structures in Pioneer Square through alleys that draw in the public with the promise of art and cocktails. The front desk and hotel reception. Ric Stovall/Populus Seattle 'We wanted to create a hotel that becomes part of the cultural and physical infrastructure of the area,' says Jon Buerge, president of the Colorado-based Urban Villages, which developed both RailSpur and Populus. It's a fitting ambition for a hotel set amid cobblestone streets and Romanesque facades, just blocks from Seattle's working waterfront and flanked by Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park. But Populus Seattle isn't just another design-forward newcomer among edgy art galleries and expertly curated indie boutiques. (It is the second outpost of the Populus brand, following its flagship Denver location, which opened last October to much fanfare.) 'You're stepping into an experience that was designed to connect people to the city, to the past, to what's next,' says hotel general manager Rod Lapasin. I thought about that a lot as I explored the hotel's thoughtful design, neighborhood ties, layered storytelling built into its bones, and a mission that extends beyond aesthetics. Below is my full review of Populus Seattle. The Rooms Interior of the Douglas Fir Studio King. Ric Stovall/Populus Seattle It was surprisingly sunny in Seattle on the day I arrived, but I must confess I didn't take advantage of the fair weather. Upon entering my corner Douglas Fir Studio, a junior suite with two different street views, a window seat, and a generously sized bathroom decked out in plenty of luxe marble and industrial steel-framed glass, I decide to forgo the mile-long saunter to the Overlook Walk, a new elevated park space at the waterfront. Instead, I steeped in the deep soaking tub to unwind from the bustle of SeaTac Airport before swaddling into a bathrobe with a cup of hojicha tea. Given the adaptive reuse of a 1907 warehouse, all 120 rooms at Populus Seattle, from the standard Lupine room (comfortable, though quite cozy) to the Summit Suite (this space reads more like a luxe pied-à-terre, complete with private cityview terrace), are steeped in the warmth and sentiment of time passed. Thick Douglas fir beams, original to the structure, lend a distinctly woodsy, Pacific Northwest touch to the otherwise contemporary rooms. The accommodations feature brass lighting, velvet seating, and commissioned art framed in salvaged timber that once lined the warehouse floors. These pieces hang against richly hued walls, while exposed-brick facades add industrial character. The occasional siren or celebratory whoop was just a streetwise soundtrack that rooted me in a dynamic neighborhood where the art scene, stadium buzz, and working waterfront converge. If you're the kind of traveler who judges a hotel by its room amenities, then you'll be happy to find plush Matouk robes and towels, bath products by Aesop, Fellow electric kettles, and sustainable, direct-trade java from Monorail Espresso, Seattle's first coffee cart. As an example of the design team's attention to detail, the packaging for the single-serve pour-over depicts "Cats Cradle No. 2," a painting by local artist Becca Fuhrman, whose work is on view throughout the hotel. 'Our connectedness to the community is a many-layered thing,' Lapasin says. 'It all comes together from the past and the present to become the story of Populus Seattle." Food & Drink Around happy hour, a particularly welcoming phenomenon draws folks milling about the hotel's airy lobby deeper into the building: the convivial clamor emanating from Salt Harvest, its signature restaurant, located on the second floor. Buerge explained that this sonic seduction was by design. 'We placed the bar at the top of the lobby staircase for this exact reason." I tried the non-alcoholic Impostore, a bittersweet drink made with Wilderton non-alcoholic aperitivo, and the Bleeding Heart, a floral, bubbly mix of vodka, aloe, strawberry, and cherry blossom that nods to the springtime blooms across Seattle's University of Washington Quad and city parks. I enjoyed both, but ordered a second round of the Impostore. At the rooftop cocktail bar Firn (pronounced feern, the German word for the uppermost layer of a glacier), drinks revolve around ice in various forms: crushed (as in the soju-based Green Acres, flavored with apple and shiso), shaved (Get Schwifty is like a vodka-spiked, melony kakigori), or gem-faceted (the Diamond Sea is a smoky, floral milk punch). Also telling: each afternoon, upon returning from a day of exploring Seattle's latest cultural offerings (like this floating sauna and this fairly new museum, designed like a fjord), the Populus doormen would greet me with, 'Welcome. Heading to Firn?'—a sign of just how quickly the rooftop bar has become a favorite with locals and hotel guests alike. Panoramic views from the Firn rooftop deck. Ric Stovall/Populus Seattle While ice sets the chill upstairs, down in Salt Harvest, flames crackle. 'The restaurant explores fire through Pacific Northwest ingredients from land and sea,' says executive chef Conny Andersson, who hails from Gothenburg, Sweden. (Seattle's robust Scandinavian population is owed to trades like fishing and boat building, kindred between the two cultures.) 'There's a natural overlap in how both regions approach food—minimalist, ingredient-driven, and rooted in seasonality. It's how I cook, and it's how I grew up.' Nearly every dish on the dinner menu is touched by flame. The Neah Bay salmon is just kissed by the oak-and-almond wood fire, yielding buttery tenderness. The free-range pork chop from Washington's Pure Country Farm gets more char but remains unctuous, a rarity for such a lean cut. Wild mushroom spätzle is rich and comforting thanks to Beecher's Flagship cheddar and a ratio of handmade noodles to foraged mushrooms that, to my eye, heavily favors the forest floor. Salmon gravlax, a nod to Andersson's homeland, is cured with Op Anderson aquavit, evoking the classic curing herbs of caraway and dill, then brushed with an umami-rich espresso honey mustard. For dessert, I opted for the Eton Mess, a cloudlike confection of baked meringue, fresh local berries, and Chantilly cream. Activities and Amenities The private dining meeting area. Ric Stovall/Populus Seattle The hotel's features feel more like immersive touchpoints, designed to invite interaction, spark curiosity, and reflect the city's creative spirit. Populus Seattle's commitment to sustainability and art comes together at the entrance, where salvaged tree trunks recall a ghost forest—once-living trees left standing by rising waters and now seen as symbols of regeneration. Just inside, mounted above a living fray of lush foliage, vibrant large-scale paintings reflect a range of visual styles, from psychedelic glitchery ("Garden Sequence 070624" by Przemysław Blejzyk) to folksy surrealism ("We Walked to the Top of the Holy Mountain" by Andrea Heimer) to mystic landscapes ("Night Forest" by Kimberly Trowbridge). Dom Nieri, founder of local art consultancy ARTXIV, curated a collection of 46 original artworks— including a site-specific installation of moss and rope that will cascade through the hotel's lightwell later this year—and 295 limited-edition prints by 35 local, regional, and international artists. Each piece was sparked by a single source of inspiration—the Pacific Northwest—and produced during a summer residency at the neighboring RailSpur Manufacturing Building. 'We'd take groups of artists out for plein air painting, riding ferries, going to the beach, and they'd come back to our 10,000-square-foot studio and respond to the experience,' Nieri says. 'We brought back the original intent of the building as a working production space.' All the art is for sale, making the hotel a working gallery that explores themes of place, persistence, and becoming. I imagine which wall in my tiny San Francisco apartment "Holy Mountain" would look best on, and which imaginary bank account I would draw from to purchase it. Populus also participates in Pioneer Square's First Thursdays—the longest-running art walk in the country—and plans to host guest-exclusive artist talks in the Nature Library and live performances in the Art Room. 'We're not doing things for the neighborhood—we're doing things with it,' adds Nieri. 'That means bringing people in, making space for their voices, and letting the work grow from there.' Family-Friendly Offerings While Populus Seattle doesn't have dedicated kids' programming, it's far from inhospitable to families. During dinner at Salt Harvest, the family seated next to me ordered off-menu pasta with Parmesan cheese for their three kids, though they ended up stealing bites of dad's pork chop anyway. The hotel's walkable Pioneer Square location also makes it easy to explore nearby kid-friendly spots, such as the Seattle Aquarium and the waterfront Great Wheel. Rooms like the Douglas Fir Studio or the Summit Suite offer more breathing room for families. Accessibility and Sustainability As a journalist who's been on the design beat for over two decades, I've read enough sustainability claims to be skeptical, but here, I was pleasantly surprised by the specificity. Converting a 1907 brick-and-timber warehouse into a modern boutique hotel drastically cuts carbon emissions by an average of 78 percent compared to new builds, according to industry studies, giving Populus Seattle a significant head start on its goal of being climate regenerative. 'The adaptive reuse approach was key,' says Buerge. 'It let us preserve character while cutting down on carbon. That's a big win in both directions.' Such an ambitious retrofit also meant striking a balance between design ambition and practical considerations. While the dramatic central staircase serves as an architectural centerpiece, spacious elevators and ADA-compliant rooms ensure that access isn't compromised. But living the net-positive life isn't just about renewable power (Populus has committed to sourcing 100 percent of its energy from off-site solar and wind farms), or planting trees (one for every night you stay, through the aptly named One Night, One Tree program), or diligent composting (food waste will be diverted from landfill by onsite BioGreen360 digesters). Even the cafe's to-go cups are low-impact, made from durable clay, not single-use plastic or paper. Ultimately, it's about leaving the neighborhood better than you found it. 'We're not just looking at net zero,' adds Buerge. 'Carbon positive means going beyond—regenerating ecosystems and reinvesting in communities.' Location The lounge at The Café at Salt Harvest. Ric Stovall/Populus Seattle RailSpur, a placemaking project by Urban Villages, has transformed the area's back-of-house service corridors into walkable public spaces. Today, they feature art, patio seating, and independent businesses like Marigold and Mint Botanicals, plus a forthcoming outpost of the national cocktail bar Death & Co. 'And Populus is the beating heart of it all,' says Buerge. Given the buzz around the hotel, it may well become the pulse of historic Pioneer Square. As Seattle's oldest neighborhood, the area has seen its share of boom-and-bust cycles—from the Great Seattle Fire of 1889, which leveled the place, to the Klondike Gold Rush of the late 1890s, when some 70,000 prospectors passed through Seattle en route to the Yukon, turning Pioneer Square into a hub for supplies, lodging, and entertainment. Despite—or perhaps because of—its gritty reputation, modern-day Pioneer Square holds serious cultural cred, thanks to standout galleries like Greg Kucera, spotlighting contemporary work by emerging Pacific Northwest artists, and Foster/White, long associated with renowned Seattle glass artist Dale Chihuly, as well as indie shops like Flora and Henri, a concept lifestyle boutique next door to the artisanal doughnut cafe General Porpoise. I took great delight in discovering Peter Miller Books + Supplies, a tucked-away gem for architecture and design lovers, where I purchased several Japanese notebooks and Miller's housekeeping homage, "How to Wash the Dishes." It seems the legacy neighborhood is undergoing yet another transformation, with Populus being part of the change. Book Now Populus Seattle doesn't participate in any hotel or credit card loyalty programs, but before booking your stay, check out the hotel's website for its latest offers and discounts. Nightly rates at Populus Seattle start at $359 per night. Every T+L hotel review is written by an editor or reporter who has stayed at the property, and each hotel selected aligns with our core values.
CTV News
22-06-2025
- General
- CTV News
New report suggests opening churches to the masses as attendance dwindles
The newly renovated St. Paul's Cathedral in London, Ont., is pictured in this undated handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Handout - St. Paul's Cathedral, Rev. Kevin George (Mandatory Credit) When Rev. Kevin George first arrived at St. Paul's Cathedral, congregants accused him of coming to rip out the pews. 'I was like, 'OK, everybody take a breath. I don't have my chainsaw with me,'' he said Friday, a day after welcoming the public into the newly renovated building in downtown London, Ont. It's been 18 months since he started working at the church, and the pews are indeed gone. After much prayer and consideration, the change came with the blessing of the congregation. George is leading the adaptive redevelopment of St. Paul's in an effort to keep the Anglican church building alive in a model not unlike the one endorsed by a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute. It argues churches must change their approach to managing their buildings because declining attendance is putting their longevity at risk. The institute fears the loss of physical buildings could spell the end for the churches' civic function. The non-profit's report says that in addition to their spiritual role, church buildings have long been places where people go for social services, from food pantries to foot clinics and charity bingo to child care. It was that same argument that got members of St. Paul's onside, George said. They asked themselves, 'What are we doing with the space and what does that space do for us to allow us to be the church that we need to be today, tomorrow and for generations to come?' George recalled. 'And when we did that work, the barriers began to fall.' Without the pews, which seated 700, the space can be used in any manner of ways — as a concert venue, a conference hall, and, of course, a space for worship. The renovations, which also included making the space wheelchair accessible and installing much-needed air conditioning, have cost $1.9 million. The congregation and Anglican Diocese of Huron have together raised $1.1 million, and they're now looking to external sources to cover the balance. They're hoping some funds could come from the City of London, which has endorsed the space as a new creative hub. The church will also expand its civic role, George said. 'When I moved downtown in January of 2024, one of the overwhelming narratives about St. Paul's was, 'I can never get in there. The doors are locked,'' he said. 'Well, that's changed dramatically and will continue to change because our attitude now is 'doors open.'' If churches don't adapt, CUI President Mary Rowe said, they face two major threats: development and decay. 'As urban environments kinds of civic spaces that provide this kind of opportunity for informal, casual social interaction, they get encroached upon because the market pressure is such that that building starts to become more desirable for high-end housing,' Rowe said. 'And in small communities where there may not be the same kind of pressure for real estate development, there's no money or resources to shore up the civic functions of these places.' The report contends church spaces, which for decades have benefited from tax exemptions, have a duty to continue offering civic services. But a 2019 study by the National Trust for Canada predicted that one-third of Canada's 27,000 faith buildings, most of which are Christian, would likely close permanently in the next 10 years. 'What we need are new models that get new resources into these places so that you can actually evolve in a way that serves the community around it,' Rowe said. The report attempts to 'unravel the Gordian knot' of how at-risk, faith-built assets like churches should be managed going forward. That's a question Rev. Graham Singh has spent more than a decade working to answer. He's the senior pastor at St. Jax Church in Montreal and CEO of the charity Releven, which works to preserve and repurpose underused churches. St. Jax, formerly called St. James the Apostle Anglican Church, is a sort of prototype for the Releven model. The grand cathedral on Rue Sainte-Catherine ceased operations in 2015. It was in disrepair and maintenance was extremely expensive because of its heritage designation. It reopened the following year under the new name. 'A challenge is the building itself,' Singh said. 'Raising money to repair the roof, which is this heritage-listed slate roof that has to be repaired with like-for-like materials. And then the same thing with the masonry, which is a very expensive 150-year-old stone construction.' But now, the building is home to four separate congregations and a non-religious non-profit, which will soon handle management of the building. Secular tenants of St. Jax include organizations that work in refugee resettlement, food security and youth employment. Meanwhile, the City of Montreal is in the final stages of a process to acquire the green space outside St. Jax with the goal of turning it into a park. Singh also knows about the complexity of working with the municipal government. In order to make all the changes to how the St. Jax building operates, his organization had to prove they had the historic right to change the site's purpose and use. That heritage impact assessment has become part of the Ville-Marie Pilot Project, which opens the door for other churches in the city to share their space with non-religious groups, he said. 'The city has indeed been updating their zoning and urban planning framework to allow more of that to be happening in other locations in the future,' Singh said. Through Releven, he's taking that experience and helping other churches leverage it. The CUI report found one of the barriers for churches looking to change their business model is a lack of knowledge on the part of local leadership. 'There's very few examples of a congregation or a diocese or an owner of a faith building that have been able to do it by themselves because of the complexity of these buildings and the regulatory environment,' said Jennifer Barrett, managing director of programs, planning and policy at CUI. Some churches have partnered with real estate developers. Among them is All Saints' Anglican Church in Winnipeg, whose lands are now home to West Broadway Commons, a 110-unit housing project. Fifty-six of those units are affordable. But in many cases, Barrett said, churches are resistant to that sort of change and fearful of giving up control. 'It is challenging for faith communities to let go of their buildings,' she said. George said that was true for the congregation at St. Paul's. Ultimately, they decided that they should retain ownership of the property. 'We would have become sort of a tenant in our own space, and the Diocesan structure of the Anglican Church doesn't work well for that,' George said. 'We're working on what we believe will be a public-private partnership to administer this going forward because we know we're going to get very busy. I mean, we've only just moved in yesterday, and we're already receiving calls. There's a demand here for a space like this.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 22, 2025. Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press
Bloomberg
12-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
As American Architects Gather in Boston, Retrofits Are All the Rage
At the American Institute of Architects conference last week in Boston, those dressed in black — unofficial uniform of uber-creative design professionals — seemed to be outnumbered. The architects prowling the convention center were more likely to be sporting button-down Oxfords or Patagonia, on their way to such sessions as 'Next-Level Roofs: Energy Efficiency, Embodied Carbon, and Code Compliance.' An architectural trend can't be based on a wardrobe census, of course, but a shift toward more practical, sustainability-oriented work was palpable. And increasingly, that means working on retrofits, rather than creating snazzy new structures. AIA billings survey data in 2022 revealed that architects for the first time were earning more revenue for commissions on existing buildings than new construction. Recent Pritzker Prize wins by Lacaton & Vassal and David Chipperfield represent high-profile recognition of advances in restoration and renovation. Rules are being put in place to encourage adaptive reuse, as in Los Angeles, or to promote a circular economy and limit demolition, as in San Antonio. Those ordinances are alongside financial incentives offered by several local governments for converting office buildings to residential use.
Fast Company
05-06-2025
- Business
- Fast Company
Why we must change our attitude toward 'old' buildings
I've witnessed firsthand how attitudes toward existing buildings in need of a second life have evolved over the years. What were once considered blighted properties—or more mildly put, 'outdated buildings'—were met with wrecking balls. How we approach older structures now, not as burdens or obstacles, but as valuable assets that contribute meaningfully to a community's character and future, is a total transformation in the public's perception. This mindset shift reflects a broader recognition that the past is not something to be discarded, but to be celebrated, preserved, and reinvigorated. One of the most compelling aspects of adaptive reuse is the way it engages with a community's emotional and historical connections to its built environment. Over the years, I've seen that people develop deep affinities for the buildings that are part of their lives—whether because of personal memories, cultural significance, or their role in the daily rhythms of a neighborhood. However, while the emotional attachment to these buildings remains strong, their usefulness can atrophy over time. The infrastructure may age, and the original purpose of a building may no longer align with contemporary needs. In these cases, adaptive reuse becomes a bridge, a way to honor a structure's legacy while giving it new life. The balancing act It's a delicate balancing act between preservation and innovation, and it's a process that excites me—because it offers the opportunity to not only preserve the past but also activate it in a dynamic and forward-thinking way. My architecture firm recently transformed a 1930s-era Sears department store into a mixed-use block including more than 200 new apartments, as well as 50,000 square-feet of retail space. By combining housing and shopping, we create greater density, purpose, and connectivity, which enlivens cities like Chicago, where this project is located. By repurposing old buildings, we also retain a sense of continuity—an important link between generations. It's a strategy that works best when integrated into a broader urban plan. Sometimes, an existing structure may not reach its full potential until it is complemented by new projects that bring additional vibrancy and utility to the area. In this way, the new and the old coexist, enhancing each other and helping to create a richer, more complex urban fabric. Retaining an existing building can also reduce the embodied carbon footprint of an entire project. Ultimately, adaptive reuse is a key strategy for creating sustainable and community-centered development. It aligns with a growing recognition that buildings are more than just physical structures—they are symbols of history, identity, and shared experience. By embracing the creative potential of these spaces, we not only preserve their legacy but also provide the foundation for future generations to build upon. This holistic approach to development is essential for fostering resilient communities that honor their past while looking ahead to the future.
Hospitality Net
12-05-2025
- Business
- Hospitality Net
New hub by Premier Inn for South London
The transformation of underused office buildings into midscale hotels remains a key development model in the UK hotel sector. A recent example is Whitbread PLC's acquisition of Dorset House, marking the planned debut of hub by Premier Inn south of the River Thames. Adaptive reuse meets location-driven expansion Whitbread has secured the freehold of Dorset House, a 90,000 sq ft vacant office block in London's Southbank district, with plans to retrofit the nine-storey structure into a circa 400-bedroom hotel under the hub by Premier Inn brand. Subject to planning approval, the project will bring the brand to the south side of the Thames for the first time, expanding Whitbread's network of compact city-centre hotels. Strategic expansion through office-to-hotel conversions The planned Dorset House conversion reflects Whitbread's wider strategy of repurposing vacant commercial assets in core urban areas. In 2025 alone, the company has also secured sites in Holborn and Vauxhall, both of which involve similar office-to-hotel redevelopment. Such conversions allow operators to meet high demand for affordable accommodation in dense city locations while avoiding the longer lead times and higher costs of new-build projects. The strategy aligns with broader urban regeneration policies and planning priorities in cities like London. Sustainability and growth alignment The project also fits into Whitbread's broader Force for Good sustainability framework. From 2025, all Whitbread-owned hotels will be powered by renewable electricity. The group has also committed to reducing water consumption per sleeper by 20% by 2030. As part of its long-term growth plan, Whitbread aims to expand its room count from 85,500 to 125,000 across the UK and Ireland, with London remaining a central focus. Whitbread's expansion south of the Thames via the Dorset House project underscores how strategic location, sustainability, and adaptive reuse are converging to shape future hotel development in major urban markets. The approach enables rapid delivery, aligns with ESG goals, and meets the evolving expectations of both business and leisure travellers. Hotel website
