Mile High CRE
OZ Architecture has been at the forefront of design since 1964. With a team that includes architects, designers, strategists and artists, the firm is renowned for its major resort work such as in Steamboat and Vail but is less known for its smaller-scale restaurant and hotel design.
OZ’s practice areas reflect the diversity of its work, the breadth of its client base and depth of its understanding of a wide variety of project requirements. While the firm’s reach is wide, its focus remains the same: on a collaborative process with every client, no matter where the project takes them.
OZ has completed and is currently working on hotel/restaurant projects in Colorado. The firm has also branched out to Nashville at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel, as well as to Chicago at another Kimpton Hotel restaurant, Fisk & Co.
“In its 50+-year history, OZ Architecture has carved itself into the one of the country’s foremost hospitality and restaurant firms. Likely due to its proximity of the Colorado mountain resorts, the firm is sought after for its resort and hospitality expertise all over the country now,” stated Rebecca Stone, managing principal for OZ Architecture. “OZ has cultivated this expertise deliberately and as a result it is frequently tapped for resort and hospitality projects not just in Colorado, but all over the country.”
Hotel Teatro
Still one of the most revered in downtown for its interiors, the restaurant renovation of Hotel Teatro was completed in 2014 by OZ. The 5,600-square-foot restaurant, The Nickel, includes a coffee bar/breakfast lounge. OZ redesigned the first floor of the hotel, reconfiguring the reception area/entry and repurposing space for the new restaurant concept.
“The whole concept with the project is old with new,” explained Darcey Vertuca with OZ. They wanted to showcase the old features of the building by highlighting the unique architecture.
The Nickel occupies a prime corner space with bright open windows, high ceilings, a zinc top bar tucked under the mezzanine and a fresh color palette of blues and pops of red. Small barrels used to age The Nickel’s signature hand-crafted cocktails are highlighted in the bar design.
Hotel Teatro remained open throughout the fast-track construction.
Henley Modern American Brasserie
Located in Nashville, Tennessee at the Kimpton Aertson Hotel, OZ designed the Henley restaurant to embody the progress of the roaring 20s. OZ worked with local makers to orchestrate the details that define the experience.
“Henley is rooted in the traditions of American regional cooking coupling timeless craftsmanship and progressive design. A story unfolds as guests travel through the restaurant; clean and refined at the front gradually transitioning to darker and more unexpected as diners travel to the back,” said Abigail Plonkey, director of brand experience design and associate principal at OZ Architecture.
The 4,875-square-foot restaurant includes a hidden door disguised as a bookcase where behind is a 6-person chef’s table named The Rabbit Hole. Only those who know about it through word-of-mouth are able to experience the 24-course meal.
Fisk & Co., Chicago’s Newest American Mussel and Beer Bar
Most recently, the firm completed the interior design and brand of Fisk & Co., a new mussel and beer bar at the Kimpton Hotel Monaco Chicago. The almost 3,000-square-foot restaurant opened on April 6 and pays homage to to the building’s former D.B. Fisk & Co. that served as the building’s local millinery and hat manufacturer from the early 1900s.
Like a lot of other projects OZ has been part of, the story of Fisk & Co. came together with the merge of old and new and subtle nautical nods.
Our goal is to create places that evoke and enhance an experience with details that tell a story; down to the menus, coasters, signage and experiential touch points,” said Plonkey.
“Through an aesthetic that incorporates the dynamic elements of a mussel – from the colors and texture, to the places and people that harvest the mussel, the result is an off-kilter nod to Belgium dining experience that doesn’t take itself too seriously,” said Plonkey. “Fisk & Co guests may never make the connection to the concept or ever know the mussel drove the design, but our goal is to create places that evoke and enhance an experience with details that tell a story, down to the menus, coasters, signage and experiential touch points.”