Building on its mission of engaging the public with contemporary art and supporting the revitalization of American downtowns, 21c Museum Hotels will renovate and restore the former Metropole Hotel—an historic landmark in downtown Cincinnati—to its original purpose as a hotel and a centerpiece of the city. 21c Museum Hotels was launched in 2006 by Laura Lee Brown and Steve Wilson, philanthropists and arts patrons with a vision for bringing contemporary art into daily life and fostering urban vitality. The 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville was recently selected as the #1 hotel in the United States and #6 hotel in the world in the prestigious Conde Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards for 2009.

The new 21c Museum Hotel in Cincinnati will be located adjacent to the Contemporary Arts Center and across the street from the Aronoff Center for the Arts. 21c Museum Hotels is working with the Cincinnati Center City Development Corporation on the restoration, scheduled to begin next fall. The total expected cost for the project is $45 million.

21c Museum Hotel in Cincinnati will offer 160 rooms, an 8,000 square-foot contemporary art museum open to the public free of charge, and a Proof restaurant and bar serving contemporary cuisine made with locally grown ingredients. The 21c team will restore the Metropole building, recently listed on the National Register of Historic Places, following federal standards for historic rehabilitation.

Presenting a full range of changing special exhibitions and arts programming, 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville is located in the West Main Street Historic District and plays a key role in the life of the city and has helped to further raise national recognition for Louisville’s arts and theater district.

“With the success of 21c Museum Hotel in Louisville, we saw the opportunity to enliven the cultural and civic life in urban centers across the country,” said Steve Wilson, Founder and Chairman of 21c Museum Hotels. “21c is a catalyst for art and civic programming and the response from the public has been tremendous. We look forward to being part of Cincinnati’s downtown revitalization.”

Architecture

21c Museum Hotel in Louisville is designed by the award-winning firm Deborah Berke & Partners Architects, who are also serving as design architects for the Cincinnati project. Executive architect for the project is Alan Weiskopf of Perfido Weiskopf Wagstaff + Goettel, a firm noted for their significant experience in historic preservation projects.