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Review of Literature Selected Reference: Hotels Lobby for Change Author/s: Jen Renzi Issue : Feb, 2001 Synopsis: In the beginning of the new millennium many renovations are taking place, from the heavy-handed décor and traditional style to create a lean, uncluttered look. The Hilton of Toronto located strategically downtown, was a prime candidate for such a renovation. Thomas Payne of the Toronto-based firm Kuwabara Payne McKenna Blumberg Architects (KPMB) masterminded the hotels $17 million overhaul. Payne played off the large scale geometry and created luminous detail and undulating surfaces, for an uncluttered look throughout. Payne created the illusion of arrival by paving the entrance in cobblestones and adding a backlit fabric canopy. Granite flooring funnels the foot traffic towards the check-in, the powder-coated steel pipes define the lounge areas while preserving an open layout on the ground floor. The atrium as a centerpiece and a metaphor for lighting up the lobby leads to the mezzanine level, united by a dramatic staircase of back-lit onyx, glass, and steel. In daylight hours, these qualities foster openness while integrating the Hilton into its urban surroundings. At night, however, light eff