History
Since 1889, the Hotel Jerome has served as one of the iconic landmark buildings associated with the silver mining days of Aspen's history. Built by Jerome B. Wheeler, the town's most notable entrepreneur of the late 19th century, the three-story, stately brick structure is elaborately detailed with elements typical of the period. Occupying the corner of the town's busiest intersection, the hotel's location made it a popular watering hole and the center of commercial, cultural, and social life during the mid-20th century. Often referred to as the "crown jewel" of the quaint mountain town, the Hotel Jerome became one of the first buildings west of the Mississippi to operate with full electric lighting, one of many contributions leading to its inclusion on the National Register of Historic Places.

A New Chapter
In 2015, new owners purchased the 92-room hotel. The sale would include the adjacent The
Aspen Times building. For more than a century, the historic Victorian building played host to the town's local newspaper but had become vacant once the newspaper relocated a few blocks away. An intimate, 11,000-square-foot courtyard - approximately 75' x 150' in size - rests between these two buildings. This space accommodates the hotel's outdoor dining and pool program, as well as a "front lawn" and quasi-public space for the citizens and visitors.

In recent decades, the courtyard of this beloved 19th century Victorian hotel had fallen into disrepair as it was physically inaccessible, visually tired, and disconnected from its iconic history. The new owners embarked on a multi-year planning and design process that sought to bring a renewed sense of community pride and grandeur to both historical assets. Aspen-based landscape architecture and planning firm Design Workshop was selected to revive the courtyard and perimeter streetscape to meet contemporary needs while creating cohesion between the two historic buildings.

 

Garnering Public Support
Although privately owned, citizens of Aspen have a sense of pride for the Hotel Jerome, its history, and its place as a community living room. As such, any proposed changes would need to garner community support from the Historical Preservation Commission and City Council. Individual conversations with citizens, small group discussions, open houses and even public hearings enabled the team to understand and honor the history of the property. The high-touch approach to engagement resulted in significant support during the review process - a key factor in the City Council's approval.

Design
The design retains the courtyard's former "three-part" program and organization but extends the functions of the historic and new architectural structures, strengthening the vibrancy of the ground plane. Detailed design decisions reinforce a setting emblematic of the property's historic significance and balance the needs of today's competitive
resort marketplace.

Reengage the Streetscape - Dialogue with the Colorado Department of Transportation targeted changes within the rights-of-way that would improve guest arrival experience. These included a defined pull-off from the busy state highway for the regular stream of cars, a flush curb from the street to the entry for baggage drop and accessibility, and a renewed continuity to the streetscape through a deciduous tree canopy and detailed paving design. Silva cell technology facilitates tree growth and on-site stormwater management. Situated between the street and lawn, a row of mature crabapples restores a vegetative threshold, adorned with perennial plantings that reduce annual maintenance needs. Historic elements, including the gas lantern and iron fencing, were preserved.

Activate the Terrace - Design charrettes with the special event and restaurant staff of the hotel yielded critical input toward maximizing the usage and capacity of the garden terrace. In response, designers crafted a flexible, 40' x 40' brick terrace that can accommodate daily, 90-seat dining operations, as well as special events including weddings, conferences, and cocktail parties within minutes. In the winter, the space remains activated with pop up dining tents, firepits, and curling. A large specimen maple tree punctuates the courtyard, creating a vertical centerpiece that offers immediate impact and shade for a small firepit area.

Elevate the Accessibility - Archival research and historical photographs revealed the pool terrace's strong relationship to Aspen Mountain, which provided important southern exposure. As such, the design rotated and raised the sunken pool to be flush with the hotel side entries. This strategy increased the pool program to three water features, achieved universal accessibility, establishing accommodations for lounge chairs and cabanas, and restored direct mountain views and ample sunlight to the space.

Construction and Technical Challenges
Although the entitlements and design process spanned multiple years, construction was limited to less than twelve months, all while the hotel remained in operation. This required the design team and contractor to identify strategizes that would save time and minimize guest disturbance. The construction of an underground speakeasy below the The Aspen Times Building required the building to be lifted and moved to build and install a steel superstructure. Instead of offsite relocation, the courtyard served as its temporary home. Another example was at the pool terrace, where the Landscape Architect, structural engineer, and geotechnical engineer determined the previous pool could be left in place, filled in, and built atop using geofoam technology in order to save time.

Conclusion
A model for how the power of landscape architecture can reflect and encourage the stewardship of historical properties, this project returned an iconic courtyard to prominence. The new courtyard thoughtfully transforms the setting into a trio of distinct, yet flexible spaces that engages new adjacencies, while reviving its authentic character and revered history as a beloved community legacy. In doing so, it propels the story of this iconic and beloved place forward to reach a new generation of users.