NEWH - Summer 2018 - 52

PROJECT | CANOPY BY HILTON WASHINGTON DC THE WHARF

Water's Edge
Krause Sawyer crafts Canopy's debut North American property along the Potomac
By Alia Akkam
Photography by Guillaume Gaudet
Mired in business and politics, Washington, DC is often
overlooked as a relaxing leisure destination. The advent of
the work-in-progress Wharf, then-a massive mixed-use
development from PN Hoffman and Madison Marquette in the
southwest part of the nation's capital-is one way of reimagining
a hectic urban location as a waterfront community steeped in
history. This mile-long stretch of restaurants, retail, residences,
and hotels along the Potomac River, including the landmark
Maine Avenue Fish Market, underscores a more animated side
to DC. New York design firm Krause Sawyer kept this soulful
maritime heritage front and center when handling the 175-room
Canopy by Hilton Washington DC the Wharf-the brand's first
location to open in North America.
Firm co-founder Tracey Sawyer says the hotel's narrative is
driven by the themes of a city at the edge of the sea, commerce
and leisure, and warehouses and transportation. The design
developed around it "strives for an authentic, weathered, and
casual feel with architectural elements and thoughtful details
that take cues from the structures and materials layered over

time at the Wharf." By exploring nature and the surrounding
neighborhood, Krause Sawyer was able to "clock back to the
daily life of fishermen" when the industry thrived here, she adds.
Three guiding material storylines helped conjure these days of
yore: the Weathered Fisherman, which "recalls the nostalgic era
of early settlers in the burgeoning capital city, and reflects the
determination and spirit of the Wharf area in ages past," explains
co-founder Krajsa Krause; Stacking and Supported Structures,
depicting early waterside construction; and Reflective and
Textured Details, tying the hotel's aesthetic to its location.
These inspirations translated to rough wood and metals
contrasting with shimmering glass, while "the play of dark to light
coloration adds a rich visual experience to the ambiance of the
space," Krause continues. Guestrooms feature large headboards
with images that call to mind market containers and fish crates,
complemented by light, gray-washed wood flooring and custom
inset carpeting with patterns that play off reflections from the
water. This nautical spirit is echoed at Canopy Central, where
the bistro's butcher-block and zinc-clad bar is set against backlit
wood tile, and a floor-to-ceiling
wall is juxtaposed with a
two-sided centerpiece stone
fireplace. "Finally," says Krause,
"a large black-and-white print
with 3D texture on reclaimed,
painted bead board creates a
key focal point of the hotel's
common areas."

Left: Canopy Central's bar, clad with
butcher block and zinc, is set against
backlit wood tile and a stone fireplace.

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