The Press Hotel

Location: Portland, ME

Architect: Archetype Architects

Photographer: Irvin Serrano

The Press Hotel, by Wright-Ryan

Wright-Ryan served as the Construction Manager on the conversion of the historic brick and stone Gannett Building to The Press Hotel. The building was originally constructed in 1923 to house the offices and printing plant of the Portland Press Herald, Maine’s largest newspaper. An addition was built in 1947, and the location served as the Herald‘s headquarters until 2010.

The 110-room boutique hotel boasts numerous newspaper-themed features. Core elements were re-purposed, such as the former ‘City Room’ that now serves as the Inkwell Bar. Many original architectural details – including vintage exterior lettering – were retained. Artifacts like a scale used for weighing massive rolls of newsprint, and the original staircases and banisters were also restored and preserved.

The building achieved LEED Certification following its transformation and the project was awarded a Maine Preservation Honor Award for Adaptive Use in 2015 and the Greater Portland Landmarks Preservation Honor Award in 2016.