Multiple
Municipal Grand
Nestled in the heart of vibrant Historic Downtown Savannah, Municipal Grand emerges as a captivating transformation of a mid-century modern office building on Broughton Street. Initially a bank and later a City Municipal Building, the structure has now evolved into a boutique hotel boasting 44 guestrooms, a lobby bar and restaurant, a rooftop pool, and speakeasy bar in the basement.
- Location
- Savannah, GA
- Square Footage
- 38,000
- Market Sectors
- Hospitality, Interiors
- Attributes
- Historic Renovation, Adaptive Reuse
Historic Renovation & Customization
Originally constructed in 1961 as the First Federal Savings & Loan Association, the seven-story building brought a modern, abstract design to downtown Savannah—a significant contrast to its surrounding historic structures. The exterior of the building with its gray granite walls, white concrete frames, and tiled piers were all preserved during the renovation, maintaining its unique mid-century modern roots.
Inside and out, the project team worked closely with the owner, preservation consultant, and design team to preserve historic materials, such as mosaic tile, vault doors, terrazzo floors, ornamental handrails, walnut paneling, and bank teller stations. Adding to the hotel’s one-of-a-kind interior design, custom millwork was introduced throughout the building, including the rooftop, mezzanine, basement, first-floor bars, as well as floor-to-ceiling casework in each unit and custom-fabricated fluted paneling on elevator lobby walls.
Adaptive Reuse
From an unoccupied office building to world-class hotel, this adaptive reuse project presented unique challenges to the project team. In addition to preserving historic materials, the team took great care demolishing the interior of the building to accommodate a new seven-story stair shaft, updating all MEP and fire protection systems, and converting the roof into an urban oasis.
Elements of the municipal building can still be found throughout the hotel, including the original bank vaults and doors in the basement, original stair shaft and main elevator lobby, and dumbwaiters for securely transferring valuable items between floors.
Mid-Century Elegance
Beyond the preserved historic features, the hotel’s inviting ambiance is further enhanced by soft elements, such as curved walls and walnut arched openings, creating an atmosphere of timeless elegance. Each unit offers high-end finishes throughout, including the “perfectly, imperfect” Zellige tiling in the bathrooms. On the roof, greenery surrounds the shaded chaise lounges and outdoor bar, where guests can enjoy one of the hotel’s signature cocktails. In completion, this newly added gem offers a warm respite from the bustling streets of Historic Downtown Savannah, the Hostess City of the South.
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FUN FACT
The stainless-steel rooftop pool was prefinished and pre-tiled, requiring extensive front-end planning by the project team. BIM modeling, structural steel coordination, and coordination with the city and neighboring businesses allowed for a seamless installation.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Site Logistics Planning
Due to its location on Broughton Street, a popular shopping area for tourists and locals alike, Municipal Grand required extensive preplanning and logistical coordination between the project team, city officials, and trade partners. The team maintained a tight site with little room for material storage or laydown, prioritizing safety with hundreds of pedestrians passing by each day.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Lobby: Before
The project scope included comprehensive demolition and abatement, structural modifications, new interior framing, and the installation of custom millwork, while preserving and restoring a remarkable collection of historic elements. These included terrazzo floors, original railings, granite wall finishes, mail chutes, radiators, teller stations, vault doors, light fixtures, storefront windows, and exterior masonry, granite, and stucco façades.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Lobby: After
The team worked closely with Lynch Associates Architects and Ward Architecture + Preservation to identify and protect character-defining features prior to demolition, using a color-coded labeling system and detailed site walks to ensure irreplaceable elements remained intact throughout construction.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Rooftop Pool: Before
One of the most technically complex challenges was the addition of a rooftop swimming pool and amenity deck. The existing roof structure was never designed to support the loads associated with a pool or occupancy.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Rooftop Pool: After
To address this, the concrete structure beneath the roof was selectively modified to accommodate new reinforcing steel, and a steel “nest” was constructed on the roof deck to support the pool. The stainless-steel swimming pool was fully prefabricated offsite, including tile finishes, and installed in a single piece using a crane, minimizing disruption to the historic structure while achieving a modern amenity.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Stair Shaft: Before
Another significant challenge was the installation of a new egress stair shaft within a former stack of restrooms to meet current life-safety codes. This required removing approximately 164 SF of structural concrete on every level from the rooftop to the basement.
CONSTRUCTION HIGHLIGHTS
Stair Shaft: After
The building was carefully shored with an engineered support system, and demolition was executed using a large concrete saw and crane with meticulous sequencing to protect surrounding historic fabric. This solution allowed the project to meet code requirements while preserving primary character-defining interior spaces.
