Westin Cleveland Downtown
Retrofit Team
Design-build contractor: Marous Brothers Construction, Willoughby, Ohio
Materials
The building’s exterior facelift features a fusion of multicolored lights and Dolga-Trio architectural design mesh, which allowed the designers to mask the parking facilities that span the second through fifth floors. Replacing the previous brick and metal cladding with an architectural wire mesh provided a textured and unique look. Seventy panels stretch about 300 feet and are 60- to 70-feet high. Each panel has its own LED light, which is lit with an infinite number of colors.
Dolga-Trio was customized to create different openings in one continuous panel for the Westin application. The design team wanted a more dense version to cover the openings in the garage area and a more open version for the area in front of the ballroom. Areas of the façade were also customized to incorporate signage attachments.
After connecting the mesh at the top of the area, installers simply rolled the product down to its final position. The lightweight mesh was then fastened at the bottom of the installation using a flat tension profile and clevis assembly system.
Architectural design mesh manufacturer: W.S. Tyler
The Retrofit
Driven by dynamic population growth, the Cleveland downtown area has realized extensive revitalization efforts during the past 20 years. According to Forbes, there is more than $350 million currently invested in the area’s redevelopment. This flurry of activity and promise of things to come enticed Sage Hospitality to the area. A hotel with a rich history and the city’s second largest with nearly 500 rooms, Westin Cleveland Downtown (formerly the Crowne Plaza Hotel) was the perfect target for Sage’s efforts in the region. Previously host to movie stars, politicians and presidents, the hotel would once again realize its place as four-star accommodations.
As part of its directive to return the Westin to an elite property, Sage identified critical infrastructure issues, established a design approach and allocated budget for the proposed improvements. The Marous Brothers Construction team integrated a number of fresh aspects into the 14-month, $74 million, 500,000-square-foot renovation project. The major transformation included new mechanical and safety systems, lighting, guestrooms, a restaurant and fitness center. Many existing features, such as the elevator controls, guestroom interiors and common areas, experienced major aesthetic and system overhauls, as well.