Terrace Plaza Hotel
One of the first mixed use projects in the US, the 7-story base housed 2 department stores, and the hotel lobby was located on the 8th floor with 10 floors of hotel rooms above. The Eighth Floor lobby opened onto a landscaped terrace on the east end overlooking Fountain Square. A circular restaurant located on the top floor housed the Gourmet Room, one of the city's 5-star restaurants.
Unique FeaturesThe building was one of SOM's first major commissions. Along with the inventive approach to planning, unique features were incorporated in the design such as the adjoining room strategy. Selected wall separating rooms were designed to slide upward into a cavity to allow two rooms to become one without obstructions. Art was also an important part of the hotel's design and character. An Alexander Calder mobile was a prominent part of the lobby. A mural by Saul Steinberg covered a wall in the Skyline Restaurant on the Eighth Floor, and the curved wall of the Gourmet Room held a mural by Joan Miro.
Original OwnerThomas Emery's Sons
Completion Date1948
Original FunctionHotel located atop two department stores
StyleModern
ArchitectSkidmore Owings & Merrill (SOM)
15 W. Sixth St., Cincinnati, OH 45202