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Clark Construction Group, LLC of Costa Mesa, Calif. earned the AGC Build San Diego Merit Award for Excellence in Building Construction for Private Work for the Manchester Grand Hyatt tower addition in San Diego.
An adjoining tower addition makes the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel on San Diego Bay the largest and tallest waterfront hotel on the west coast, as well as the second largest Hyatt in the chain. Developed by Manchester Resorts of San Diego, the expanded hotel is expected to be critical in attracting large conventions to the city. Clark Construction served as general contractor on the $107.5 million project.
Located on 3.29 acres adjacent to Seaport Village and west of the existing hotel, the 34-story tower expansion, designed by Martinez+Cutri of San Diego, features 750 additional guest rooms. The architectural theme of the project focuses on a traditional aesthetic of turn-of-the-century luxury hotels, where romance and elegance permeate the regal setting. In particular, this is seen in the neo-classic design of the tower’s architecture with its grand three-story lobby, tall and slender windows, horizontal rustication, and the tripartite composition of the facades.
The central lobby, 30,000-square-foot ballroom and 34,000-square-foot exhibit hall connects the two towers. The superstructure consists of a steel frame used for both the low-rise podium and high-rise tower and includes a concrete shear wall core that houses the elevators.
Complementing the existing tower, the facade of the addition incorporates a limestone-colored exterior insulation finish system accented by green glass in the curtain wall. The main entrance is highlighted by imported dimensional stone from ground level to the vaulted metal roof, which serves as the mid-point of the towers. Wood panels with large murals line the lobby walls. A dual-colored concrete paving scheme with granite accent pavers and palm trees are featured in the entrance drive.
The judges selected the project on the following criteria:
- Important catalyst to maintaining San Diego’s strong economy
- First hotel to support the San Diego Convention Center Expansion
- Completed on-time and within budget for an onsite owner
- Complicated construction of ballroom roof that also serves as a pool deck
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