The Watergate Hotel – the scene of the burglary which brought down Richard Nixon’s administration – has been given an extensive refit and re-design by Ron Arad Associates.
The Washington D.C. hotel – which is listed as a national monument – was originally built by the Italian architect Luigi Moretti in the early 1960s as part of a mixed-use complex featuring offices, apartments and commercial facilities.
The hotel made headlines in the 1970s as the stage for the ‘Watergate’ political scandal, when the headquarters of the Democratic National Committee were burgled and wiretapped on the orders of high officials in Nixon’s team. The US president eventually resigned over the affair in 1974, and the suffix ‘-gate’ has been adopted for numerous scandals since.
“I have a confession to make: our initial attraction to this project was actually the Watergate scandal, and it is absolutely fantastic that this starting point led us to work on a project that also has such a great architectural legacy,” said Arad.
“Working within such a significant period piece, you can’t ignore the context, but at the same time you don’t want to mimic it. Instead you want to create something complementary, but importantly, something new.”
The hotel closed for renovations in 2007, and work on Arad’s $125m (€110m, £85.5m) redesign of the public spaces began in 2012. His team have enhanced Moretti’s original curves to influence the anticipated flow of people through the spaces around the ground and lower ground floors – including in the entrance foyer and hotel lobby, the whisky bar, the hotel’s casual and fine dining restaurants and its external dining terrace.
Arad, working with Italian designer Moroso, used a clean modernist palette of white plaster and marble, and repeating motifs are expressed through the use of curved tubular brass, polished copper and stainless steel and oak-lined walls. Custom-made rugs, bespoke chandeliers, plus hand-waxed and polished ceilings also feature.
The hotel's Whisky Bar has been carved into the lobby, with an undulating wall of over 2,000 custom whisky bottles featuring labels sculpted and stamped out of metal bathing the space in a bronze glow.
“The Watergate is undoubtedly one of the most glamorous and illustrious hotels in the world,” said Rakel Cohen, senior vice president of design and development at real estate developer Euro Capital Properties, which has overseen the project. “We paid meticulous attention to every detail in its renovation and we’re excited to bring our vision to life.
“Its intrigue is driven by evocative design, from the deep-rooted retro feel to the mystique that lies behind every curve of the hotel’s architecture.”
As part of the project, some of the hotel’s original structures, such as the staircase and indoor pool, have been restored. BBGM were executive architects for the project.
The Watergate Hotel features a 2,500sq ft fitness centre and its modern Argentta Spa.
