See full Building Memphis Awards Profile in Memphis Business Journal
The active intersection of Union Avenue and B.B. King Boulevard in downtown Memphis, Tennessee, serves as an important gateway into the urban core and its historic, world-famous attractions, the likes of which include the Beale Street entertainment district, Charlie Vergos’ Rendezvous BBQ restaurant, the Peabody Hotel, the Civil Rights Museum and AutoZone Baseball Park. Forming a distinct first impression for visitors, the last parcel of available land at this high-profile entryway to downtown was primed for redevelopment and an infusion of contemporary design to better represent Memphis as it is now.
Opened to guests in November 2020, the new 171,100 square foot Canopy by Hilton hotel, designed by nationally recognized hospitality design firm HBG Design, provides the design aesthetic and atmospheric prominence this marquee corner location has needed for years.
Hilton’s Canopy offers a boutique hotel feel designed to immerse guests in the unique characteristics of host cities and local neighborhood experiences. The Memphis property is the 24th Canopy by Hilton hotel to open in the world. True to its brand promise, the Memphis Canopy brings a fresh urbane flair to its 174 hotel guestrooms and its public spaces including the chic ‘Curfew’ indoor/outdoor restaurant and bar, and energizing, open lobby spaces.
“Our design solution for the new Memphis Canopy hotel is discerningly rebellious,” says Harland. “The materials, proportions and scale are meant to evoke the characteristics of the existing network of mid-rise masonry architecture in the downtown area, while its dark charcoal gray palette, patterning and simplification of form help to distinguish the building from its context and contemporizes the visual aesthetic of the architecture.”
“By elevating the hotel block and removing the traditional thresholds at the first level we redefine how visitors interact with the urban buildings,” adds Harland. “The transparency creates a constant interaction with the hotel’s unique public spaces and the dynamic vibrancy of downtown Memphis’ most significant intersections so that the architecture becomes less about individual expression and more about amplifying the neighborhood experience.