Lane’s conversion will bring restaurant and retail offerings to the ground floor, and 110 short-term rental units to the upper floors operated by forward-thinking hospitality group Sonder. The beauty of Omgivning’s design solution is that when the building needs to be transformed from hospitality it can be easily adapted to rental housing units because its design meets both hospitality and housing building codes.

Given the relatively small size, down to 380 square feet, of most units, Omgivning sought to maximize each space’s efficiency. Through creatively deployed areas for seating and storage, as well as upscale fixtures, finishes, and detailing, the concept demonstrates that small areas and high quality are not incompatible.

Thanks to Omgivning’s millwork and appliance specification efforts, kitchens for each unit maximize space and integrate seamlessly into a wall/cabinet system. To Omgivning, this was the key to optimizing studio living: creating a human-centered space where multiple functions reside within one room. The unit’s contemporary material palette compliments the historic fabric, while simultaneously distinguishing new additions as modern interventions.

To the immediate west of the Lane Building is the historic Tower Theatre, which tech giant Apple plans to lease and convert to a new retail store. (The two buildings are owned by the same family. You can see the Tower's ornate façade toward the right side of the photo opposite.) In anticipation of increased pedestrian flow and intense public interest, we have paid particular attention to augmenting the overall pedestrian experience and ensuring the cohesion of the Lane’s ground-floor retail even when renovations come to the Tower site. To that end, for the ground level commercial spaces, we’re developing a spare, glassy storefront system while still maintaining the locations of all historic entrances.

Project photography by Hunter Kerhart.