Hotel Lafayette
Encyclopedia
Hotel Lafayette, also known as the Lafayette Hotel, is a historic hotel
building located at Buffalo
in Erie County, New York
. It is a seven story steel frame and concrete building designed in the French Renaissance style
. It is composed of several rectangular building units completed between 1902 and 1926. It features decorative vitreous red brick and white terra cotta
trim. The original building was designed by the firm of Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs, including noted architect Louise Blanchard Bethune
(1856–1913), and built between 1902 and 1911. Additions from 1916–1917 and 1924-1926 were completed by Esenwein and Johnson
. The lobby was decorated in 1942 in the Art Moderne
style. In it's prime, the Lafayette Hotel was considered one of the 15 finest hotels in the country. Besides elevators, every room featured hot and cold water and a telephone. A 97 m (318.2 ft) antenna is attached to the building.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 2010.
A $35 million rehabilitation project has started on the hotel and is expected to be complete by October 2011. The hotel will be converted into 115 one and two bedroom apartments and 34 hotel rooms. Several bars, restaurants and other businesses have signed to occupy the first floor. The renovation is being conducted by experienced Buffalo property developer, Rocco Termini.
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
building located at Buffalo
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is the second most populous city in the state of New York, after New York City. Located in Western New York on the eastern shores of Lake Erie and at the head of the Niagara River across from Fort Erie, Ontario, Buffalo is the seat of Erie County and the principal city of the...
in Erie County, New York
Erie County, New York
Erie County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York. As of the 2010 census, the population was 919,040. The county seat is Buffalo. The county's name comes from Lake Erie, which in turn comes from the Erie tribe of American Indians who lived south and east of the lake before 1654.Erie...
. It is a seven story steel frame and concrete building designed in the French Renaissance style
French Renaissance architecture
French Renaissance architecture is the style of architecture which was imported to France from Italy during the early 16th century and developed in the light of local architectural traditions....
. It is composed of several rectangular building units completed between 1902 and 1926. It features decorative vitreous red brick and white terra cotta
Terra cotta
Terracotta, Terra cotta or Terra-cotta is a clay-based unglazed ceramic, although the term can also be applied to glazed ceramics where the fired body is porous and red in color...
trim. The original building was designed by the firm of Bethune, Bethune & Fuchs, including noted architect Louise Blanchard Bethune
Louise Blanchard Bethune
Louise Bethune , born Jennie Louise Blanchard in Waterloo, New York, was the first American woman known to have worked as a professional architect. The Blanchard family moved to Buffalo, New York when Louise was a child. She graduated from the Buffalo High School in 1874 and was planning on going...
(1856–1913), and built between 1902 and 1911. Additions from 1916–1917 and 1924-1926 were completed by Esenwein and Johnson
James A. Johnson (architect)
James Addison Johnson was a Buffalo, New York architect known for his design of various architectural landmarks and his use of decorative work that many consider a foreshadowing of art deco design....
. The lobby was decorated in 1942 in the Art Moderne
Streamline Moderne
Streamline Moderne, sometimes referred to by either name alone or as Art Moderne, was a late type of the Art Deco design style which emerged during the 1930s...
style. In it's prime, the Lafayette Hotel was considered one of the 15 finest hotels in the country. Besides elevators, every room featured hot and cold water and a telephone. A 97 m (318.2 ft) antenna is attached to the building.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2010.
A $35 million rehabilitation project has started on the hotel and is expected to be complete by October 2011. The hotel will be converted into 115 one and two bedroom apartments and 34 hotel rooms. Several bars, restaurants and other businesses have signed to occupy the first floor. The renovation is being conducted by experienced Buffalo property developer, Rocco Termini.