part from the experience of entering the walled Brash Courtyard, Clementine's vestibule sets guests' expectation for the rest of the property.
Before
Clementine's entry serves the same purpose and occupies the same footprint as the most recent church vestibule. The church replaced the original 1889 entry with the larger one in 1957 after some storms weakened the bell tower that was replaced at the same time and is now the Bird Room. The walls and ceilings were white and the floor and doors were light wood. Overall the experience was what one would expect from 1957, unoffensive but dated and unappealing.
Issues & Plan
After removing the mechanical ducting and concrete slurry on the walls, we uncovered the original brick. This raised several challenges. A large hole in the brick wall for the return air ducts had to be filled. We also discovered the location of the original entries into the sanctuary, which for us required returning the doorways Adelaide Hall to their original locations.
We also wanted to add significantly more natural light to the space. We added a large skylight which had the added benefit of enabling guests to look up at original facade (more on the Facade here) which is washed in light at night. The entry doors and doors into Adelaide Hall were replaced with steel doors with larger glass panels than the original doors.
To set the stage for the rest of Clementine, we introduced our prevalent color, black. The brick and concrete walls were painted black and the wall facing those who enter is comprised of slate panels that are antique schoolhouse chalkboards. This maintained the black palette and now enables calligraphers to create chalk artworks. Black and gold wallpaper on the ceiling introduces guests to our extensive use of the material. The black steel doors with brass handles reinforces the color scheme that is used throughout.
Functionally, we added four coat areas and what we call Mission Control, the nerve center for our audio, video, lighting and other systems.
After
The black herringbone marble floor and inlaid marble CLEMENTINE letting brand the entry with a polished look. Recesed LED stip lighting creates a glow in the room. Flanking dark walnut doors and walnut paneling in the coat alcoves with inlaid brass introduce another material we use throughout. The ability to project an image onto the slate walls introduces the guest to the extensive systems they will find upon entering.
Today, couples always pose in the entry in front of the Clementine sign. The lighting is ever changing and always dramatic.
