Boutique Design - October 2018 - 44

2 Back in black: dark, striated glass accents the wall
in front of the bathroom
area (left) and the sink
(right), visually uniting the
two elements.

3 Architectural details on the
wall of each module are more
than they appear: in addition
to the visible lines here, the
outer surface is ribbed for an
additional textural element.

2

3

4

44

boutiquedesign.com october 2018

and advances in construction software to change the industry's
thinking about modular.
"I don't want this project to be just the world's tallest modular
hotel," says Forster, founder of Danny Forster & Architecture (and
the longtime host of the Discovery Channel's Build it Bigger
series). "I want it to exemplify the best practice for how to deploy
this technology. We use it where its best qualities shine-in
repeatable spaces such as hotel rooms, where homogeneity and
quality control are most critical-and we don't use it for spaces
that don't lend themselves to modularity." For the AC NoMad,
that means the first four floors of the tower, the podium, use
traditional cast-in-place concrete construction for the public
spaces, giving Forster the freedom to create dramatic sloping
ceilings, stadium-style staircases, and double-height spaces, none
of which would be possible in a purely modular building.
For this record-breaking project, AC by Marriott, which has
several modular hotels within its portfolio (including AC Oklahoma City Bricktown, featured in Boutique Design's March 2017
issue), has a crafted brand design strategy which encourages
collaboration around an established design aesthetic. Dave
Walsh, senior director, Global Design, explains that the Marriott
team "provided these design tools and guidance while empowering Forster to create a custom solution relevant to the market
and the owner's vision."
The result is unique, not boxy, heavy, or boring (as modular
building is often assumed to be). The façade is expressed as a
simple repeating AB pattern of warm and cool toned metal
accents using lighter colors on upper floors, making the already
tall structure look even taller. Moreover, this façade design
disguises the joints between guestroom modules, thus allowing
the tower to be experienced as an iconic, monolithic piece of
architecture, as opposed to a series of stacked boxes-a common
critique of past modular towers.
The pattern of the concrete panels on the south façade of the
building echoes the glass/steel/glass/steel format of the modules'
windows and metalwork giving the tower a sense of texture and
scale. The horizontal slab cover at the bottom of each module is
cleverly sloped, which helps avoid the "heavy" look one gets from
stacking the ceiling of one module under the floor of the next,
according to Forster.
Inside, the architect put the creative emphasis, especially in the
guestrooms, on a selective range of custom FF&E, architectural
materials and fabrics that offer a bold twist on AC's palette. The
elevator core is clad in undulated wood, expressed as a central

C O U R T E S Y O F DA N N Y F O R S T E R & A R C H I T E C T U R E

4 This cutaway shows the
double height public
spaces and angled ceilings
that will give the lobby an
eye-catching vibe from inside and outside the hotel.
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Boutique Design - October 2018

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