Richmond, Va. – Sept. 21, 2015 – Quirk Hotel, A Destination Hotel, opens as Richmond’s first-ever, design-driven boutique lodging option. A brand-new immersive hotel concept that showcases the world of local creatives, Quirk Hotel offers an engaging experience for the creative and curious, and invites the experiential traveler to absorb the authentic culture of the community, using art as a guide.
Inspired by nearby Quirk Gallery, Quirk Hotel’s DNA stems from an unexpected twist of sophistication and humor, with equal parts Southern cordiality and Virginia pride. The hotel’s opening – timed to coincide with cycling’s international pinnacle event, UCI World Road Cycling Championships (Worlds), taking place in Richmond Sept. 19-27 – demonstrates a defining moment for both downtown Broad Street’s revitalization and Richmond’s emergence as an international arts and culture destination.
Quirk Hotel serves as an interactive community gathering place for both locals and Richmond visitors to immerse themselves within Richmond and experience the city’s eccentric, trendy and exciting art scene. The fabric of the local culture is woven throughout the hotel, with locals and guests co-mingling throughout the hotel’s social gathering spots ranging from the lobby-located restaurant Maple & Pine led by Chef David Dunlap, to the rooftop terrace bar and lounge, to the adjacent art hub experience at Quirk Gallery.
Pioneering Design
An Italian Renaissance building located in the heart of The Broad Street Commercial Historic District, Quirk Hotel is housed in a 60,000 sq. ft. historic Richmond landmark, originally constructed in 1916 as the city’s finest department store, J.B. Mosby & Co. The structure’s overhaul and design led by its owners, husband and wife duo Ted and Katie Ukrop, focuses on capturing the building’s original purpose by honoring its history through unique architectural elements. The Ukrops commissioned two of today’s highly acclaimed design companies to bring their vision to life: Richmond-based architectural firm 3north and Connecticut-based interior design firm Poesis Design.
Inspired by Richmond’s culturally rich history, the designers began the restoration project by first combing through thousands of bits and pieces of the city’s 400-year-old history, performing diligent research on what from the past makes Richmond the unique city it is today. A thoughtful interpretation for Quirk Hotel resulted from that research – a historically vibrant design, full of key artifacts, color and art that tell the tale of Richmond’s storied past. Details such as the lobby’s segmental arches, groin vault ceiling and ornamental ironwork staircase have been preserved throughout the structure. As an homage to the building’s historic department store days, specially-designed, larger-than-life glass cases adorn the lobby, housing museum-like objects and collections such as vintage hats, while acting as natural spacing partitions. The lobby’s focal point upon entrance is a major art installation titled “Pile,” created by local artist Susie Ganch. Comprised entirely of white coffee lids collected from Richmond’s coffee shops, this piece de resistance is a symbolic interpretation of the hotel’s pillar ethos – fostering community, honoring the old, embracing the new and finding beauty in the unexpected.
Blending sophistication, flair and humor, the hotel’s 74 guestrooms and suites take a subtle riff on the husband/wife dynamic of the owners, culminating in the perfect marriage of masculinity and femininity. Each room features a palate predominately composed of warm-pink, gray, walnut brown, white and black, allowing alternating pink and gray colored walls (Benjamin Moore’s “Love and Happiness” and “Gray Owl” respectively) to serve as the idyllic backdrop to hang local artwork created by artists from Petersburg and Richmond – easily available for travelers to purchase if they so choose. Historic highlights such as the original wood floors stay intact, while 100-year-old Virginia wood beams taken out of the original structure during demolition have been repurposed and used to create the glossy walnut bedframes that anchor each guestroom. Room design highlights additionally include contemporary millwork, sculptural glossy white lacquered furniture, 14 ft. ceilings, frosted glass shower enclosures and high tech amenities along with other unusual quirks within the décor and finishing. A stunning glass cube placed atop the structure and invisible to the eye from street level will house four specially designed suites upon the project’s completion.
Artful Amenities
Developed as an extension of the beloved Quirk Gallery which features exhibitions of “approachable” work by both established and emerging local artists, Quirk Gallery will offer an easily accessible entrance to the hotel once it relocates in September to an adjacent building. The gallery, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in September 2015, displays works of many local, regional and national artists and sparked the idea for an art-driven, eclectic and engaging hotel. An impeccably landscaped courtyard will separate this adjacent building from the main hotel. Additionally, 2,000 sq. ft. of unique meetings and events spaces will be available to hotel guests and locals in addition to an on-site fitness center.
The Quirk Artist in Residence program provides artists with time and space away from their usual environment to allow for an opportunity to explore new channels for creative inspiration. Located one block east of the hotel, the artist in residence is supplied with a studio/apartment with a stay ranging from 1-6 months, with participants either working toward an exhibit with Quirk Gallery or expanding their own research. The program is exemplary of the supportive local Richmond arts community, and is open to artists from all mediums, cultures, academics and societal backgrounds, while customized to fit each artist’s needs. The program is available by application and invitation.
The hotel’s first artist in residence is Leigh Suggs, a 2015 VCU Craft Materials MFA graduate with a concentration in textiles, who will be in residence from July 1, 2015 – January 2016.
Convivial Cuisine
Quirk Hotel strives to provide an interactive community gathering place for both locals and Richmond visitors with food and beverage options available throughout the hotel’s convivial spaces inclusive of both a coffee bar and restaurant serving lunch and dinner located within the lobby, as well as a rooftop terrace bar.
The culinary experience at Quirk Hotel is led by Chef David Dunlap (previously of The Inn at Little Washington, The Ashby Inn in North Carolina and Plume at The Jefferson, DC) and focuses on artisan cuisine, sourced locally with an emphasis on regional culinary traditions.
Maple & Pine, located in the lobby, is the hotel’s culinary cornerstone and serves as a reflection of Virginia’s inventive dining revolution. The restaurant’s modern American craft cooking showcases the region’s micro-seasons while incorporating global flavor profiles. The menu delivers an original genre that exhilarates while remaining approachable and familiar. Utmost respect and understanding to the regional offerings and its producers are tasted in every bite. The rooftop bar provides unobstructed views of Richmond’s skyline and offers modern adaptations of classic cocktails, small batch spirits and regional craft beers.
Ownership/Management
Quirk Hotel is the first hotel to open under the development of owners Ted and Katie Ukrop and Quirk Hospitality, LLC, based in Richmond, VA. Ted Ukrop, a Richmond native whose family once owned the former Ukrop’s grocery store chain, ubiquitous in the region, is a developer/managing member of several Richmond properties and complexes as well as co-founder of Lift Caregiving, a family caregiving resource. Katie Ukrop is founder and owner of Quirk Gallery.
