It’s only fitting that a hotel across the street from the University of Notre Dame, widely regarded as one of the most beautiful college campuses, should rise to the occasion as well. For Cooper Carry, the design firm behind the recently opened Embassy Suites by Hilton, the school’s hallowed halls provided a framework and inspiration for the hotel’s aesthetic.
“The Embassy Suites by Hilton South Bend at Notre Dame was inspired by its context,” said Rob Uhrin, principal, Cooper Carry. “The design of the hotel melds the collegiate gothic campus style with the vibrant and inviting surrounding street life. The hotel was planned and designed to be engaging and connected so that hotel guests interact with students, local residents and the surrounding community. The ground floor was planned so that the food and beverage program is integrated with the surrounding street life. At every turn, the community is welcomed in and hotel guests are connected with the neighborhood and campus.”
A key component of Eddy Street Commons, a $300-million mixed use development, the 175,000-sq.-ft. hotel offers a transition between the traditional campus and the burgeoning neighborhoods to its south, according to Cooper Carry. North-facing rooms showcase views of campus, including Notre Dame Stadium, the Basilica of the Sacred Heart and Notre Dame’s Main Building (the Golden Dome). The sixth-floor rooftop deck features social and amenity areas with expansive views that are available to both local patrons and hotel guests.
“The rooftop is one of the key design features,” Uhrin said. “The rooftop connects with the campus both in its design details and planning, but also in its orientation and views that showcase the Notre Dame campus. Not a restaurant and not a bar, the hotel’s rooftop was designed to be flexible, adaptable to multiple uses ranging from a football tailgate to a wedding. The rooftop creates an experience that is distinct for South Bend and a truly unique piece of the architecture.”
Reflecting on the ambiance of the hotel, Uhrin noted, “Inspired by a mixture of collegiate gothic campus environment and the inviting and vibrant Eddy St. development, the hotel’s ambiance is open, inviting and accessible. The look and feel hint at the collegiate gothic style, while providing a clean and modern aesthetic. Echoes of gothic influences are apparent in arches, ornamentation and other elements. Traditional materials, such as exposed structural steel, remain in their natural state and are expressed in contemporary ways throughout the interior architecture and rooftop spaces.”
