Apart Hotel Panamá

An inviting boutique hotel expands and converts an existing structure in Panama City

This proposal converts an existing building complex into a state-of-the-art hotel. The project includes the adaptive-reuse of two existing structures and the addition of a sixteen-story tower for a total of 170 hotel rooms. The three buildings are connected through a network of interstitial open spaces which leads visitors through an open gallery flanked by a vertical garden of tropical species, accentuating the exclusive, lively, and relaxed character of the hotel. Pedestrian access along a small promenade through the lower towers is protected by the garden on the one side and a metallic face mirroring the other. This sensuous and mysterious spatial experience adds to the commercial activities, the restaurant and lobby of the hotel on the ground floor, and the strong perspective that ends with the vertical presence of the new tower.

The interstitial space between the three resulting volumes contains the main core of elevators and stairs as well as a second naturally ventilated staircase, which together with the raised circulation corridors guarantee escape routes and function as a connecting space between the three towers. This articulation space will allow access to the reception, an area for the cafe, the restaurant, and the other activities on the ground floor to be developed, and at the higher levels guarantee the ventilation of rooms. The roofs of the lower towers can be used as recreational areas to host hotel activities.

The new envelope integrates the three building masses with a double facade system that uses vertical elements. In this way, the windows of the rooms are protected from direct solar exposure and provided greater privacy. This virtual second skin not only unifies the project, but it also lightens the reading of each building, creating a more dynamic composition.