The 21c Museum Hotels St Louis is filled with local art and offers guests free shots of bourbon to sip while they walk around the gallery. Gemma Harris reports
21c Museum Hotels has opened its latest property in the heart of downtown St Louis, amid the iconic city landmarks. The newest addition for the multi-venue contemporary art museum and hospitality brand seamlessly merges travellers and locals to experience exhibitions, community-focused cultural programmes and an array of culinary delights in St Louis.
To honour its historical roots, the group has partnered with architects Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff and Goettel and the interior design expertise of Hufft and Bill Rooney studio to restore the 95-year-old, ten-storey renaissance revival style building that was once home to a YMCA. Restored with a contemporary twist while preserving original features and paying homage to the YMCA’s original purpose as a gathering place.
The two suites also house contemporary artwork alongside views of downtown St Louis through the double-height windows, an entertaining space, living and dining rooms, a kitchenette and an upper-level fitness area with state-of-the-art Peloton equipment.
For dining, the Idol Wolf restaurant has indoor and outdoor seating and takes an innovative approach to tapas-style dining – chef Matthew Daughaday helms both establishments. As a nod to the bourbon culture, free nightcap pours are available for guests to enjoy in their rooms or while they explore the exhibitions as crowds wind down.
The chief curator and museum director, Alice Gray Stites, says: “Featuring over 70 artworks in a wide range of media by 47 artists from all over the world, Revival explores the use of historical sources in contemporary art as a transformative lens to understand the past and the present, and through which to consider the future, as individuals and as a global community in St Louis.”