The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park

From its storied beginnings as one of Conrad Hilton’s first high rise hotels to the hotel’s distinct Pueblo Art Deco architectural vernacular, The Plaza Hotel Pioneer Park is a place that could have only been born — and reborn — in El Paso, Texas.

Originally built in 1930 as the El Paso Hilton, the hotel was the last major project designed by Henry Trost to be built before his death. Once the grand dame of the city’s social scene, the hotel’s renaissance is informed as much by its past as it is fueled by the eclectic modern art community that has emerged in West Texas. To reestablish the hotel as the city’s living room with a modern spin — a diverse national design team oversaw the restoration of the hotel’s exterior architecture and key historic interior elements with an emphasis on preserving the authenticity of the original design.

The design team began by poring over a collection of period photographs and newspaper articles from the hotel’s opening. These depicted the 1930s space as well as offered clues about the materials, fabrics, lighting and furniture first used at The Plaza Hotel. These historic resources provided inspiration when choosing a palette of rich walnut wood, velvet and mohair fabrics, warm brass metals and hand tooled leather into the interior design of the bar and restaurant.

At the interior, this began by reinstating the double-height lobby atrium — capped during a previous renovation — to bring back the grand entrance as the heart of the building. The plaster faux vigas in the double height vaulted ceiling were artfully restored, carefully replicating the original colors and decorative stenciling. Striking original elements like the terra cotta tile on the first floor and the ornate plaster ballroom ceiling were restored. In the lobby atrium, the skylights and stained glass were reconstructed to match the original components.

The new Ámbar Restaurante anchors the restored double-height atrium. Ámbar features a back bar focal point rising 40 feet high — displaying one of the state’s largest tequila collections behind a sheath of amber glass and polished stainless steel. Inside the Ámbar Restaurante space, the original terracotta flooring was missing in many areas. Here the design team utilized concrete flooring to fill in the gaps to clearly distinguish between historic and modern materials.

At the rooftop, the La Perla Bar is graced with a feminine sensibility as a nod to the glamorous Elizabeth Taylor who briefly lived in the the space that occupies the original penthouse suites. The 17th-story patios at La Perla feature tiered seating, built-in planters and panoramic views of the El Paso skyline and Juarez, Mexico.

Awards:
2020 AIA El Paso Design Awards, AIA Honor Award and Jury Prize