Boutique Design - September 2016 - 36

STORY
TELLERS

Rottet Studio spins The Driskill's past life into a fresh design that
weaves more than a century of narratives into every detail.
BY CHRISTINA GREEN

design. The Driskill hotel in downtown Austin is a case in point. Every detail within the 130-yearold property-from hand-painted wallcoverings that are true to the era to custom carpets that
weave in guest narratives from the Gilded Age-tells a tale of Texas history.
So when Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced it was joining the soft-brand bandwagon in March with
the unveiling of its latest flag, The Unbound Collection, it's no surprise that the 189-key property
became one of the first poster children for the new portfolio of "story-worthy, sharable experiences."
The oldest operating hotel in the state was constructed in 1886 by Jesse Lincoln Driskill, a
wealthy cattle baron and former colonel in the Confederate army, explains Lauren Rottet, the
Houston-based architecture and interior design firm's founding principal and president, who
served as the lead designer on the project.
The hotel's infrastructure had been modified several times and seen multiple renovations
under different owners, including cattle barons, bankers, insurance companies and hotel corporations, Rottet says. Consequently, when the firm began the task of restoring the lobby, guest
rooms, Lyndon B. Johnson suite and 1886 Café & Bakery in late 2013, the design team had to
preserve what had worked in previous revamps, and strip away what hadn't.
"Acquiring existing floorplans with correct measurements was next to impossible, so each
room had to be re-measured and recorded for accuracy," recalls Rottet senior associate Chris
Evans. "Construction methods in 1886 were vastly different from the methods we use today,
providing both challenges and unexpected benefits."
The Gilded Age became the main reference point for the property's design, with subtle touches of
1920s-inspired bronze and brass details incorporated throughout as another nod to the hotel's history.
"We chose to weave the 1920s into parts of the design because the tower section of The Driskill
was built during that decade. It expanded the original footprint of the hotel, now called the
'historic side,'" notes Rottet designer Ginny Hightower. "In addition, cross-country travel via automobile in the 1920s opened a way for Americans to travel west. The Driskill capitalized on a new
market of hotel guests coming from places not previously accessible when it originally debuted."
Rottet describes the overall color palette as derivative of the local landscape, and layered
with touches evocative of a privileged traveler of that bygone era. To balance function and
authenticity and imbue a fresh feel that was stately, not stuffy, the firm paired restored vintage
pieces with custom historically inspired original designs.
The hotel's lobby was originally laid out as an open concept to facilitate airflow during the
hot summer months, opening onto the ballroom floor on the second level, which was removed
during a renovation in the 1950s. An ornate stained-glass skylight overhead existed prior to the
design team's arrival and was retained as a focal point, but the firm took advantage of another
opportunity to bring more light to the lobby behind the front desk.
"The original entrance to the hotel, located behind the reception, was covered up during one of
the hotel's renovations; however, we deconstructed the wall to reveal the original arch with backlit
glass to evoke daylight streaming in from outside," explains Rottet.
36

boutiquedesign.com SEPTEMBER 2016

MOLLY WINTERS ( THE DRISKILL); DELISE WARD (ROT TET ); COURTESY OF ROT TET STUDIO (EVANS, HIGHTOWER)

ROTTET STUDIO'S SIGNATURE is an ultra-bespoke approach to every facet of a project's

1 A high-gloss, British-racing
green feature wall, a nod to
the transformative nature
of travel and transportation
during the 1920s, spans the
length of the cafe and bakery's
two connected rooms.

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Boutique Design - September 2016

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