Interview with the Architect: Mark Weaver, FAIA, Principal, HBG Design
Designers of the Hyatt Centric and Caption by Hyatt
Memphis, Tennessee
Not within the recent history of the AIA Tennessee conferences has the host hotel and conference space been a recently built building designed by a firm based in that city that knows the ins and outs of the local culture. To continue our feature on the 2023 host hotel, we have a special interview with the architect and principal designer Mark Weaver of Memphis based HGB Design to talk more about how much the local culture inspired the design.
What design features are you most excited for your peer architects to see and enjoy?
I am extremely proud of what our talented HBG team accomplished in creating the Hyatt Centric and Caption by Hyatt hotel designs. And I’m even more excited for the opportunity to share these remarkable spaces with the esteemed members of the AIA Tennessee community.
For me, these hotels are a showcase of meaningful contemporary architecture and placemaking that honors Memphis’ iconic music history and its heritage of riverfront industry.
The Centric and Caption represent a convergence of this legacy – being the first hotels built on Beale Street on the historic site of the William C. Ellis and Sons Ironworks and Machine Shop, just one block from the Mississippi River.
Our team took great care to preserve the Ellis building structures and their historic character to create distinctive must-visit experiences for hotel and conference guests. Visitors will enjoy the charming street-front beer garden and the Talk Shop all-day hangout and lounge at the Caption hotel. We also modernized other Ellis structures for the Centric and Caption’s shared conference and meeting space.
The serpentine-shaped glass wall at the Centric hotel lobby and CIMAS restaurant is a window to the lively atmosphere of downtown Memphis, between Beale Street’s main entertainment district and the riverfront. But my personal favorite spot is the Centric rooftop whiskey bar and lounge deck, called Beck and Call. In my opinion, the venue offers downtown’s best views of the Mississippi River, the “M Bridge” light show and the city skyline. It’s the perfect place to entertain visitors or unwind after a long day.
Were there new design ideas you were experimenting with in this location? What design element is unique to this Memphis location compared to other hotels in other cities?
Every inch of our Centric design was influenced by the musical heartbeat of Beale Street, bringing to life concepts like flow, rhythm, and resonance. Nods to this inspiration can be found in the staggered exterior window placement that recalls sheet music and guitar fret patterns, and in the nighttime light show that plays out across the urban facade in tribute to Beale Street’s neon signs and active nightlife.
The mass of the Centric structure is elevated on concrete pilotis and folds around an interior courtyard providing full visibility for ground level amenities through the serpentine glass wall. The curtain wall shape was formed in reference to the strong Mississippi River current and the curves of musical instruments, and it recesses within the hotel perimeter to create covered pathways that flow around the hotel.
The overall hotel interior concept was fashioned around the idea of a central crossroads for culture and community in downtown Memphis. The lively lobby bar/lounge is set prominently at the Beale/Front intersection and the interior is anchored by a city grid patterned carpeting and features a guitar-pick shaped coved ceiling inset and striking focal chandelier resembling brass music instruments. The interior is light, open, and welcoming. We also carved out an urban courtyard between the Centric and Caption, offering guests a hidden oasis for swimming and small outdoor events.
Lessons learned: Is there anything from past projects that you address in this project?
HBG’s expertise in urban hospitality design has been built through 44+ years of designing hotels and urban redevelopment projects. One of our firm’s core strengths is historic repurposing for modern uses. This experience has taught us the importance of honoring the architectural integrity of a building and maintaining its character, while integrating new functionality. This can be seen in the designs of the Caption and Centric hotels. We know that every project experience is an opportunity for learning; and we capture these best practices and past project lessons for collaborative knowledge sharing within our project teams.
Public feedback: Would you share any that helped confirm your design goals?
I’m elated to say that both the Hyatt Centric and Caption by Hyatt Memphis hotels have garnered significant attention, including recognition for the Centric as the 2022 AIA Memphis People’s Choice Award Winner. A highly respected Memphis architect offered great feedback, telling us that he thought: “[The Centric] makes a compelling contribution to the downtown area by being both a foreground and a background building; it’s very successful.”
The HBG team’s dedication to preserving Memphis’ rich cultural heritage is evident in the Caption design, which has also garnered acclaim from preservationists who admire the way the Ellis Buildings were reimagined. Restaurant Development + Design Magazine recently honored the Talk Shop at the Memphis Caption by Hyatt with the prestigious Form + Function Innovation Award. The Caption by Hyatt Beale Street Memphis is the first Caption branded property to be built anywhere in the world and has elevated hospitality innovation by creating a multipurpose arrival and lounge space that meets the evolving needs of urban residents and travelers.
What’s your drink recommendation from the whiskey bar at Beck & Call?
That would have to be the Down South Shuffle. Made with Old Dominick Vodka, from the popular local Memphis distillery, this is one good summer drink that everyone should try…on the Centric rooftop patio looking out on the amazing river view.
Thanks to Mark for sharing these insights. A special thank you to Dana Ramsey, Lindsay Gray, and Jeanne Myers at HBG Design for helping make this spotlight happen.
Hyatt Centric Project Team
Architecture and Interior Design Firm(s): HBG Design
Associated HBG Design Architects & Team Members:
Paul Bell, AIA – Principal / Project Manager
Mark Weaver, FAIA – Principal Designer
Josh Love, Associate AIA – Lead Architectural Designer, no longer with HBG Design
Larry Paine, AIA – Project Architect
Emily Marshall, IIDA, NCIDQ – Principal / Interior Design Director / Senior Interior Designer
Tina Patel, NCIDQ – Lead Interior Designer, no longer with HBG Design
Joseph LaVallee – Interior Designer
Client / Developer for Caption and Centric: Carlisle Corporation
General Contractor: Flintco, LLC
Consultants & Collaborators:
Electrical: Mechanical & Plumbing Engineer: Haltom Engineering, LLC
Electrical Engineer: Canup Engineering
Civil Engineer: Catalyst Design Group
Structural Engineer: Uzun & Case
Specialty Lighting Designer: Benya Burnett Consultancy
Landscape Architecture & Design: Talley Associates
Caption Team
Architecture and Interior Design Firm(s): HBG Design
Associated HBG Design Architects & Team Members:
Paul Bell, AIA – Principal In Charge
Mike Ochoa, AIA – Project Manager
Mark Weaver, FAIA – Lead Architectural Design
Steve Trott, AIA, LEED AP BD+C – Architecture
Kristen Dixon, AIA, NCARB – Architecture
Ethan Griffin, AIA – Architecture
Josh Love, Associate AIA – Architecture, no longer with HBG Design
Tina Patel, NCIDQ – Lead Interior Designer, no longer with HBG Design
Lydia Melton, IIDA, NCIDQ – Interior Design
Valerie Gregory – Interior Design
Client: Carlisle Corporation
General Contractor: Flintco, LLC
Consultants & Collaborators:
Uzun+Case – Structural
Innovative Engineering Services, LLC – Mechanical / Plumbing
Canup Engineering – Electrical Engineer
Catalyst Design Group – Civil Engineer
DHS Lighting Design – Specialty Lighting
JPA, Inc. – Landscape Architect
Photography: Dero Sanford / ThinkDero Architectural Photography and Chris Villano / villano photo
Drawings and diagrams courtesy of HBG Design
2023 AIA Tennessee Conference on Architecture
After living with the isolation of an ongoing pandemic, how can we celebrate, explore, and learn from spaces that bring people together and promote joy in a community setting. The types of spaces that showcase some of the greatest human accomplishments – from performance to food to hospitality. We want to highlight the places that unite rather than divide.