NEWH - Summer 2017 - 40

PROJECT | ADMIRAL SEMMES HOTEL

Southern Style
Flick Mars breathes new life into a Gulf Coast hub
By Alia Akkam
Photography by Michael Hunter
In 1940, the Admiral Semmes Hotel opened in Mobile,
Alabama, and it instantly became a lively Gulf Coast social hub.
The city's first accommodations to offer air conditioning, it also
featured a drugstore, National Airlines office, and a cocktail
lounge and coffee shop that eventually drew celebrities like
Elvis Presley, Jimmy Stewart, and Bob Hope. Reimagined by
Hattiesburg, Mississippi-based developers the Thrash Group,
the 155-room hotel set in Mobile's downtown entertainment
and cultural district is now known as the Admiral Hotel Mobile,
part of the Curio Collection by Hilton portfolio, and it flaunts
a recent multimillion dollar overhaul by Dallas-based Flick
Mars. The Admiral during its midcentury heyday was a strong
source of inspiration for cofounder and architect James Flick,
who was thrilled by the building's "great bones" and preserved
historic details like the flooring and elevator doors.
"Flick Mars custom designed every piece of furniture,
ornament, and artwork specifically for the hotel. The idea
was not a period piece recreation; rather a contemporary
interpretation recognizing the Admiral's modest Art Deco
influences while ensuring the repositioned property was
light and cheerful with modern sensibilities, amenities, and
luxuries," he explains.

The lobby, Flick points out, "best represents a careful
melding of the original interior architecture with fresh,
welcoming finishes and furnishings. It was our hope to breathe
new life into the old gal without losing the character of such
a stately building." In this public space, swathed in hues of
black and mustard, nautical references like an installation
of illuminated black globes and U.S. Navy Admirals of yore,
captured in an array of framed black and white portraits,
mingle with such regal elements as a marble staircase and
mirrored panels. An oversized light fixture, descending from
the second-floor pre-function ceiling and extending through
an existing opening in the floor is another highlight, crafted
from brass chandeliers, acrylic pendants, and multicolored
metal chains.
All of the muted guestrooms feature a calming palette of
gray, black, blue, and soft white that is invigorated by yellow,
gilded accents, and more marble in the baths. Natural brick is
an "approachable, unpretentious" fit for Launch, the restaurant
celebrating seasonal produce, says Flick, while the white
glazed version dominating the bar at Corner 251 "respects
the architecture with a cheeky nod to an Art Deco motif while
remaining a bright, airy, and clean backdrop."

Above and left: Flick Mars overhauled the lobby of
the Admiral Semmes hotel with a bright, contemporary
interpretation of Art Deco. Nautical themes in hues of
black and mustard are complemented by glass panels
and a marble staircase.

40 www.newh.org


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NEWH - Summer 2017

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of NEWH - Summer 2017

Newh - Summer 2017
Table of Contents
News
Conference Roundup
Who’s Who
Have You Seen?
Scholarships
Sustainability
Q&A: Becca Kundysek
Q&A: Dina Caruso
Q&A: Leslie Wynne
On the Cover: Delta Faucet Company
Project: Admiral Semmes Hotel
Project: The Miranda
Project: Kasa Moto
Chapter Highlights
Save the Date
New Members
Partner Profiles
Ad Index
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Newh - Summer 2017
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Cover2
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Table of Contents
NEWH - Summer 2017 - News
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 5
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 6
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 7
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Conference Roundup
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 9
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Who’s Who
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 11
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 12
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 13
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 14
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 15
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 16
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 17
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Have You Seen?
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 19
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 20
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 21
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 22
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 23
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 24
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 25
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Scholarships
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 27
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Sustainability
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 29
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Q&A: Becca Kundysek
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 31
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Q&A: Dina Caruso
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 33
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Q&A: Leslie Wynne
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 35
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 36
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 37
NEWH - Summer 2017 - On the Cover: Delta Faucet Company
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 39
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Project: Admiral Semmes Hotel
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 41
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 42
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 43
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Project: The Miranda
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 45
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 46
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 47
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Project: Kasa Moto
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 49
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 50
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 51
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Chapter Highlights
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 53
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 54
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 55
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 56
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 57
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 58
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 59
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 60
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 61
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 62
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 63
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Save the Date
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 65
NEWH - Summer 2017 - New Members
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 67
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 68
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 69
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 70
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 71
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 72
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 73
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 74
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 75
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 76
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 77
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Partner Profiles
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 79
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 80
NEWH - Summer 2017 - 81
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Ad Index
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Cover3
NEWH - Summer 2017 - Cover4
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