Excelsior Jazz Club, Hotel, and Museum
Gallery
The narrative which inspired our conception of the design is that the Excelsior Club, and the Washington Heights neighborhood, have a rich and inextricable history based in the African American community of Charlotte and the region. Our design response was influenced by several aspects of this history, from the legendary entertainers who performed at the club, to the fact that it was a critical social and political gathering place, and even the precedent of its Art Moderne architectural style in the city. We see the project as a means by which the members of the community can pay homage to and continue these legacies while writing their ‘current history’, always looking towards the future to define themselves as they see fit. A spirit of forward-thinking which honors and draws from the past is at the core of our belief in what this project embodies architecturally, what it means to its transforming area of the city, and what it might inspire in the members of its community.
Date: 2020
Client: Withheld (Competition)
Status: Not Awarded
Location: Charlotte, North Carolina
Design Team:
Associate Architect: DLR Group
