Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA

DLR Group has restored the former Advance Thresher/Emerson-Newton Implement Company designed in 1900 by Kees and Colburn for Sherman Associates now the Canopy Hotel by Hilton in Minneapolis Mill District.

The hotel project encompassed the preservation and reuse of approximately 135,000 SF on seven floors.

The design provides 183 guest rooms and more than 6,000 SF of flexible, glass-enclosed collaboration meeting spaces featuring exposed wood ceilings and exterior brink walls, a grand canopy central, dining, and a sky lounge.

Located in the energizing East Town’s Mill District, the new hotel is part of a large mixed-use development that includes residential and retail components and offers a pedestrian-friendly urban framework along Chicago Avenue from the Mississippi River to the Downtown East development.

“The original structure is an example of the kind of large-scale commercial and industrial buildings that were being constructed around the turn-of-the-century. Converting it has really been a labor of love,” said DLR Group Principal Ed Wilms, AIA.

“The resulting design is one that both preserves the building’s heritage and offers guests a truly modern, energizing atmosphere in the heart of downtown Minneapolis.”

DLR Group’s design for the hotel’s exterior combines brick with terracotta detailing, helping to clearly define the building’s upper and lower levels.

The interior consists of heavy timber construction, exposed wood ceilings, and a central atrium that joins the two structures together, filling the space with daylight.

Over 6,000 SF of flexible glass-enclosed collaboration meeting spaces reveal exposed wood ceilings and exterior brink walls.

DLR Group’s design for the interiors of the hotel draws heavy inspiration from Scandinavian home-works.

Abstractions of quilting and weaving are present throughout the hotel’s artwork and in its fixtures and furnishings.

Intentional about creating a design that is rooted in the building’s history without feeling overtly industrial, the interior of the hotel exhibits delicate and subtle touchpoints.

Elements are custom-designed throughout to recall turn-of-the-century Scandinavian imagery.

Designers created a hand-crafted residential feel through the use of patchwork patterns repeated in the lobby’s sofas, guest room beds, and in the bar and café’s tilework.

The interior aesthetic also celebrates the materiality of the building.

The centerpiece of the building’s lobby is its atrium mobile installation, a sculpture designed to evoke the image of flour coming out of a sifter and brought to life by architectural artists at Trellage-Ferrill Studio.

“Canopy by Hilton adds vibrancy to the fabric of East Town and the Mill District. The shared vision of Canopy by Hilton and DLR Group delivers a spectacular Minneapolis experience,” said
George Sherman, CEO and Owner, Sherman Associates.

“We were driven to capture the spirit and history of Minneapolis and we are honored to celebrate it with guests, residents, and businesses downtown.”

Project: Canopy Hotel Minneapolis Mill District
Architects: DLR Group
Original Architect: Kees and Colburn (1900)
Client: Sherman Associates
Photographers: Jim Kruger and Richard Brine