Cincinnati's Terrace Plaza Hotel: An Icon of American Modernism

About My Campaign

In May 2009, I completed my Master of Architecture thesis on Cincinnati's Terrace Plaza Hotel entitled [re]Marketing Modernism: the revision of an iconic mid-century, mixed-use hotel. The thesis included a history of the building, as well as adaptive use and rebranding proposals for the nearly abandoned building. Though currently threatened by neglect, the Terrace Plaza Hotel was the most technologically-advanced hotel in the world when it opened in 1948. Designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill, the senior designer was 24-year Natalie de Blois - one of the first women architects to design such a structure. The ambitious project, started just after WWII, included artworks commissioned by Joan Miró, Alexander Calder, Saul Steinberg, and Jim Davis, along with textiles by Marianne Strengell and lighting design by Abe Feder.

In Fall 2012, one of my thesis chairs submitted my manuscript to the Young Voices Publication Award and it was selected to be the 2013 publication. 

I was thrilled at the honor and the opportunity to have attention paid to the Terrace Plaza and to Natalie de Blois.

I was fortunate enough to help bring Natalie to Cincinnati to visit the Terrace Plaza for the first time in November 2008 (she was never allowed to meet with the clients or visit the site at the time, because of being a woman). I was even more fortunate to have Natalie's guidance and support during both the thesis and this book project. Unfortunately she passed away last month, just before the book will go to press, but this project will help tell her story and the story of this amazing Modern building that was so ahead of its time.

Though the book was funded by the Award, it will not include color images which I believe are critical to telling the stories of the Terrace Plaza and its artists and designers.

I must raise $1,000 in order to include color pages within the book. Please consider supporting this project and helping make history as this will be the first book on the Terrace Plaza Hotel and the first on Natalie de Blois.

Oh, and this is a non-profit book project. All profits will go toward the preservation of the building and its artwork through donations to the Cincinnati Preservation Association and the Cincinnati Art Museum.

Thank you so much for your consideration!

Shawn