Architects: Marcel Breuer, Robert F. Gatje
Area: 9,950 m² (107,100 sq ft)
Year: 1970, renovated in 2022
Photography: Pat Krupa, Ben Schnall, Glenn Stevens, Becker + Becker
Construction: Original construction by Armstrong Rubber Company, renovated by Becker + Becker
Hotel Marcel, located in New Haven’s Long Wharf district, is a Hilton hotel housed in the historic Armstrong Rubber Company Building, later known as the Pirelli Tire Building. This structure, designed by modernist architect Marcel Breuer with Robert F. Gatje, is a significant example of Brutalist architecture. Following its conversion into a hotel, the building now operates as a zero-energy facility, generating all necessary energy through renewable sources.
Constructed between 1968 and 1970, the building initially served as the headquarters for Armstrong Rubber Company. Pirelli purchased it in 1988 and later sold it in 1999. The building remained mostly vacant from the late 1990s until its transformation into a hotel, that began in 2020. Hotel Marcel officially opened in May 2022. The building was listed on the Connecticut Register of Historic Places in 2000 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.
Site and Exterior
Strategically situated near the Connecticut Turnpike (I-95) and New Haven Harbor, the building is adjacent to an IKEA store and close to a similarly styled former Howard Johnson’s hotel, now a La Quinta Inn. Marcel Breuer, a Bauhaus alumnus, and Robert F. Gatje designed the structure in the Brutalist style, featuring 36 bays along its length and 13 bays on its sides, with a flat roof. The building’s heavy concrete construction is accentuated by pre-cast concrete panels that provide sun protection and visual depth.
One of the building’s distinctive design features is the 17-foot gap between its two main sections: a two-story base originally used for research, development, and production, and a five-story office block suspended above it. This negative space was designed to reduce noise from the labs below, ensuring a quieter environment for the offices above while creating dynamic visual tension. The building’s steel frame was one of the first to employ floor framing suspended from seven overhead cantilevered trusses, each weighing 50 tons, which supported the steel-framed block below.
At the northeast corner of the site is a freestanding, three-story concrete structure, originally a sign for the Armstrong Rubber Company, built concurrently with the main building. This structure contributes to the building’s historic status.
Interior and Hotel Use
Originally, the building housed Armstrong Rubber Company’s offices and research facilities, covering 183,000 square feet (17,000 m²). However, in 2003, IKEA demolished 64,000 square feet (5,900 m²) of the structure to create a parking lot, reducing the building’s size to 107,100 square feet (9,950 m²). The interior was converted into a hotel between 2020 and 2022, with Brooklyn-based Dutch East Design handling the interior design and branding. Hotel Marcel, part of Hilton’s Tapestry Collection, features 165 guest rooms, a lobby, a restaurant named BLDG, a bar, and event spaces.
The renovation emphasized sustainability, incorporating features such as triple-glazed windows for temperature stabilization, all-electric machinery for laundry and kitchens, and solar panels covering the parking lot and roof. In 2021, these panels were projected to generate 700,000 kilowatt-hours annually, sufficient to meet the hotel’s energy needs. Additional green initiatives include 14 EV charging stations and a 14-person electric shuttle for guests. The hotel offers approximately 130 parking spaces on a surface lot.
The lobby retains several original features, including granite floor and wall tiles, along with a polished granite reception desk relocated to a vestibule near the event space. The guest rooms are designed in contrasting grays and walnut wood, featuring Cesca chairs by Breuer and custom modular furniture by Dutch East Design. The eighth floor, formerly executive suites, houses the largest rooms, many of which include couches, kitchenettes, and soaking tubs. East-facing rooms provide views of New Haven Harbor while west-facing rooms overlook the city skyline.
The building’s top floor, which is two stories high and originally housed mechanical equipment, has been transformed into an event space with an interior courtyard and a sunken lobby lounge.
History
Construction began in 1966 after Armstrong Rubber Company presented a proposal to New Haven Mayor Richard C. Lee. Initially, the company proposed a low-rise structure, but Mayor Lee suggested a taller building. Marcel Breuer responded with a design that suspended the company’s administrative offices two stories above the research and development spaces. This design minimized noise from the labs below, ensuring quieter offices above. Completed in 1970 for $6.5 million, the building served Armstrong Rubber until 1988, when Pirelli purchased the company.
The building remained vacant for over a decade, leading to concerns of demolition by neglect. During this time, it occasionally hosted temporary exhibitions, such as the “City-Wide Open Studios” event in 2002 and Tom Burr’s 2017 conceptual art exhibition “Body/Building.” Preservation efforts eventually led to the building’s listing on the Connecticut Register of Historic Places in 2000.
Partial Demolition and IKEA’s Ownership
IKEA purchased the site in 2003, demolishing part of the structure to create a parking lot for a new store. This demolition was criticized by local advocacy groups and the Connecticut chapter of the American Institute of Architects for disrupting the building’s intended asymmetry. Despite this, IKEA’s store opened in 2004, using the remaining building for large advertisements.
Renovation and Restoration
In December 2019, Connecticut architect and developer Bruce Redman Becker purchased the building from IKEA for $1.2 million, intending to convert it into a net-zero energy boutique hotel and conference center. The renovation aimed for Passive House certification, making it the first such hotel in the U.S. to generate its heat, electricity, and hot water. Hotel Marcel, named after its original architect, opened on May 16, 2022. The renovation included minimal exterior changes, focusing on modernizing the interior and enhancing sustainability. The project also aims to achieve LEED Platinum certification.
The renovation work, which began in the summer of 2020, was led by Dutch East Design. The design team focused on reintroducing the raw beauty of Brutalism while creating a warmer interior atmosphere through the use of earth tones and terracottas. They preserved the building’s original architectural elements while adapting it for modern use, such as reinstating the historic ceiling as a plane for reimagining the original architectural lighting system.
Reception and Cultural Significance
Despite being voted as Connecticut’s ugliest building by Business Insider in 2018, Hotel Marcel has been praised by architects and preservationists for its successful adaptation of a Brutalist landmark. The Connecticut chapter of the American Institute of Architects and the preservation group Docomomo have highlighted the building’s architectural value. The Financial Times listed Hotel Marcel in its “Architecture to See in 2023,” recognizing it as a significant example of Brutalist architecture brought back to life.
Hotel Marcel exemplifies the potential of adaptive reuse, respecting the architectural heritage of Marcel Breuer’s Brutalist design while meeting contemporary standards for sustainability. By transforming the Armstrong Rubber Company Building into a state-of-the-art, zero-energy hotel, Becker + Becker has preserved a significant piece of modernist architecture and set a new standard for eco-friendly hospitality. The building’s history, from its origins as a corporate headquarters to its rebirth as Hotel Marcel, demonstrates the potential for historic structures to be revitalized for modern use.
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Project Location
Address: 500 Sargent Dr, New Haven, CT 06511, United States
Location is for general reference and may represent a city or country, not necessarily a precise address.
