The Darling Hotel
> Preservation Design Award for Rehabilitation, California Preservation Foundation, 2021
Realized by a family deeply rooted in the Visalia area, the 32-suite boutique Darling Hotel celebrates rich local heritage while providing an exciting new place to experience the heart of Visalia. The project rejuvenates Visalia’s neglected, historic Art Deco courthouse with elegant and authentic architecture that preserves and amplifies its legacy.
A simple strategy to celebrate existing elements at all scales while honestly rehabilitating the building for modern purposes resonates throughout the interior and exterior of the building. Exterior facades were carefully restored and, after an extensive retrofit to existing egress for code purposes, a seamlessly designed stair tower was the only needed exterior addition. Throughout the interior, light fixtures, elevator cars, door knobs and other original details were meticulously preserved.
The hotel’s rooftop restaurant, The Elderwood, located in the old elevator machine room, celebrates the existing building directly by showcasing the concrete negative of the Art Deco frieze on the primary façade as the dramatic backdrop to its bar. A dynamic, generational story of family and community reverberates through all facets of the building, making The Darling a tangible promise to continue that story for generations to come.
Location: North Court Street, Visalia
Client: Private
Size: 28,341 SF
Scope: Architecture, Interiors, 3D Visualization
Completion: 2020
