DG2 Design collaborated with PWWG Architects and Hufft to integrate the building, surrounding streetscape, and Art Park Garden for the 21c Museum Hotel in downtown St. Louis. Housed in a beautifully renovated 95-year-old former YMCA, the 10-story boutique hotel blends architectural heritage with contemporary art — inviting guests and locals alike to discover something new around every corner. The Louisville-based 21c brand is renowned for transforming historic buildings into vibrant cultural destinations, complete with rotating modern art installations and the brand’s iconic colored penguin statues.

Integrating Building, Streetscape, and Art Park

The landscape architecture connects the hotel’s entrances, outdoor dining spaces, and the Art Park Garden through thoughtful plantings and strategic pathways that create a welcoming, flowing pedestrian experience. The design marries the building’s historic architecture with contemporary design elements, providing a green urban sanctuary within the dense fabric of downtown St. Louis.

The Art Park Garden: A First for the 21c Brand

St. Louis is the first 21c location to feature an Art Park Garden — a distinction that reflects the city’s deep commitment to merging art with everyday urban life. Developed in collaboration with Laumeier Sculpture Park, the garden showcases “View Finder,” an interactive installation by Chandler Ahrens. This series of kaleidoscopic, reflective tubes captures and distorts glimpses of the surrounding cityscape, offering visitors a captivating and ever-changing fusion of viewer and environment.

A Versatile Outdoor Destination

Beyond its artistic role, the Art Park Garden functions as a versatile outdoor venue for weddings, concerts, and community gatherings. A custom concrete amphitheater and artificial turf lawns provide the structure; a grove of River Birch trees provides the shade and atmosphere. The garden extends the experience of the hotel’s Idol Wolf restaurant and Good Press Cafe, offering an outdoor dining and gathering space that draws both hotel guests and St. Louis locals into a truly unique cultural setting.