Planning a trip to New Haven, Connecticut? You will definitely want to book a stay at the Hotel Marcel in the Long Wharf district. While this Brutalist building offers sustainable MCM accommodations today, it is almost miraculous that it survived the prior decades even partially intact.
Original Design and Purpose
In 1966, the Armstrong Rubber Company commissioned Marcel Breuer and Robert F. Gatje to design a Brutalist structure that they could use for research and office work.
They came up with a unique design that featured two floors below, and five above, separated by a 17-foot gap. At first, you might think this purely an aesthetic design choice; it gives the structure a “cumbersome-yet-weightless” look that is appealing in Brutalist structures.
But it served a practical purpose. The bottom two floors housed the production labs, which could be noisy. The air gap kept the offices in the five stories above quieter.
Decades of Destructive Modifications, Neglect and Threats
Sadly, the Armstrong Rubber Company Building would go through a lot before becoming today’s Hotel Marcel.
After its completion in 1970, the Armstrong Rubber Company used it for 18 years. They sold it to Pirelli in 1988, after which it became the Pirelli Tire Building.
The trouble started when Pirelli sold it in 1999. They sold it to some developers who wanted to tear it down and build a mall in its place.
Thankfully, that idea got scrapped. But the building went unoccupied for the next decade, falling into disrepair. Preservationists managed to get it added to the Connecticut Register of Historic Places in 2000. But that still didn’t stop IKEA from demolishing a 64,000 square foot section of the bottom two floors after purchasing it in 2003. The building used to be asymmetrical, and looked like this.
Hotel Marcel Today
Things finally turned around for the building after Becker + Becker bought it in 2019. The firm renovated the building and converted it into a hotel, respecting its design. Aside from replacing the windows and power-washing the outer walls, they left the exterior alone.
While they updated the interiors, they decorated and furnished the rooms in a Mid Century Modern style, even incorporating Marcel Breuer’s Cesca chairs. Other renovations focused on making the hotel eco-friendly. Its solar panels are sufficient to make it a net-zero structure.
Those who wish to book a stay at Hotel Marcel can do so by visiting the hotel’s official website. There, you can also view photos of the interior.
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like The Simple Geometric Beauty of Breuer’s BCC Buildings and The Wassily Chair. And of course, don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and YouTube for more Atomic Ranch articles, house tours, and ideas!
