HOSPITALITY DESIGN & BRANDING | 2019

Welcome to the hotel, The Norman — a place where your experience is not only comfortable and relaxing, but memorable before, during, and after your stay. 

Our story behind the hotel comes from the historical context of what makes Memphis today. It is all about connections between the city, the Mississippi River, and the most important aspect — you, the people. You are part of the story of Memphis. Thank you choosing your stay with us and enjoy your journey. 

It started off by doing research on the city of Memphis. We were big on historical context since the building we’re incorporating our hotel & restaurant in was the American Snuff Company. 

As we got the opportunity to go to Memphis, we went further into our research off the key snippets of what makes Memphis what it is today - the people, the culture & diversity, history, especially the Mississippi River. We were big on connectivity, which guided my partner and I to develop our concept question — what if our hotel were an oxbow? It is a U-shaped lake that forms when a wide meander of the main stem of the river is cut off but yet it’s still considered part of that river. 

We found something interesting about an event that took place somewhat near the area of where our hotel is located. A man by the name of Tom Lee rescued 32 men from a sinking ship called “The Norman.” He did not even know how to swim, but still managed to save those men. The city gave him the title “the worthy Negro.”

This project was a collaboration with interior designer, Madison Mitchell.