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BAR defers storefront alterations at 400 King Street after board seeks clearer scope and materials study
Summary
The Board of Architectural Review deferred an application to alter storefronts at 400 King Street (the Alexandrian hotel retail bays) after members and staff requested clearer drawings, consistent window treatment and consideration of wood versus aluminum systems.
The Board of Architectural Review voted to defer consideration of storefront and storefront-entry alterations at 400 King Street so the applicant can clarify the scope, provide coherent drawings and study material options.
James Bandula, representing AB/FH Alexandrian Hotel, told the board the submission seeks to replace existing wood-and-glass storefronts on the retail half of the building with new aluminum thermal storefronts and to add ADA-accessible entrances. Bandula said tenant fit-outs drove the schematic presented to the board.
Board members praised the addition of ADA entrances but raised several concerns about the packet’s clarity and compatibility with the existing hotel facade. Board member Michael Spencer said his primary issue was placement: the proposed projecting storefronts and a corner blade sign concept looked "odd and out of place" and that the sign would be better attached to a solid wall. Several members and staff raised that the submission mixes elements (awnings, paint colors, tenant renderings) that the board would normally review separately, and that the application packet lacked an organized narrative or clear enlarged sections for the inset vestibule.
Members urged the applicant to present options that better relate to the hotel’s existing material rhythm and to consider thermally efficient wood window systems rather than aluminum to preserve visual continuity between hotel and retail facades. Board member Robert Adams suggested reintroducing a horizontal line across the retail bays to more closely tie the storefronts to the broader facade.
After discussion, the applicant requested a deferral to revise the materials and drawings. The board voted to defer the application; staff advised the applicant to coordinate with staff on light patterns, color and material choices before the board’s next docketing.
The board’s comments emphasized that aluminum storefronts are permissible on modern buildings under BAR guidelines but that partial treatment of the facade that changes the light pattern only on one side can create incoherence. The board recommended clearer renderings and consistent proportional modules for the retail bays before returning for approval.
