When one thinks of Savannah, one imagines cobblestone streets wrapped in Spanish moss and lined with Antebellum-era, Georgian-style row houses. What they may not realize is that this compact, historically significant, and undeniably haunted port city is also home to a number of distinctive Moderne and Midcentury Modern towers, rising among Hostess City’s picturesque park squares.
One such postwar structure is the six-story First Federal Savings & Loan Association building—erected by the architectural firm of Levy and Kiley—along the central commercial section of Broughton Street. Over the past six decades, the iconic building stands out with its well-preserved gray granite volumes, white concrete frames and blue mosaic tile walls. In converting the 36,000-square-foot building into the newly opened, 44-key Municipal Grand Hotelmultivalent brand AAmp Studio sought to emphasize—even exaggerate—the texturally complex surface materials found within. Work with a local practice Ward Architecture + Preservationthe studio achieved this by peeling back the existing layers. What they revealed was not only highlighted, but also served as an inspiration for the non-structural changes that followed.
“The challenges of taking a historic former bank – and later municipal building – and transforming it into a full-service hotel experience were evident from the start,” says Andrew Ashey, co-founder of AAmp Studio. “But rather than being intimidated by the project, we saw it as an amazing opportunity for creative design interventions that brought together the historic and the new in a very holistic way.” This largely amounted to the near-surgical insertion of deeply referential yet soft finishes and curvilinear inserts.
As respectful as these additions are, they are clearly distinct from the original elements. The strategy reflects a more holistic, interpretive and frankly successful form of architectural conservation, according to the widely praised 19th century theorist Eugène Viollet-le-Duc. For him, the continuation of a building’s original intent and relevance—achieved through the technological advances of its time—should replace surface facsimile.
AAmp Studio began the careful conversion of the building by relaxing the threshold between the ground floor and the street. The once uninviting entrance is now newly lit and features an inviting lounge seating area, with new lush planters smoothing the transition. The next double-height lobby now serves as the main hospitality area, with an expansive bar and a range of tables and sofas. Authentic blue tile mosaics wrap the columns in this opulent interior.
Because of this repetitive material language, the firm extended a tropical modernist sensibility throughout the public spaces – a fitting response to the stormy climate. Nods to Roberto Burle Marx’s penchant for botanical motifs and Oscar Niemeyer’s organism appear throughout. This local hangout is designed to operate around the clock: a family restaurant by day and a busy watering hole by night. A former bank boardroom now cleverly functions as a private dining area.
“We have a deep and slightly obsessive reverence for the all-day lobby bar, which is truly the foundation of Midnight Auteur,” says Ryan Diggins, partner and CEO of Midnight Auteur. “We love the idea of immersing our team and our guests in a vibrant, festive experience that only a hotel lobby bar can properly capture.”
Other Municipal Grand spaces include the Hot Eye cocktail lounge with hidden basement access, dressed in a palette of dark terrazzo, deep stained wood and shades of red. The Sun Club adjoins the rooftop pool—lined with a blue jelly tile wall—and frames some of the best views in the city.
Available over five levels, guest rooms take on a much more subdued sand-toned aesthetic—still in keeping with the property’s Midcentury Modern character. Finnish master Alvar Aalto’s advice is hard to miss. Throughout the offering, bathroom anchor vestibules in a rich shade of green lead through millwork thresholds to the master bedrooms. Here, red marble counters—which double as minibars and desks—play with style-matching curved mirrors, undulating banquette seating perfect for remote work, and plush headboards. Finely detailed terrazzo floors tie everything together, while some suites have private balconies overlooking Broughton Street.
The overall design is a deft combination of spatial response—both in the building itself and the surrounding neighborhood—and sophisticated references to international design movements and impulses.
What: Municipal Megali
Where: Savannah, Georgia
How many: $281 per night
Design drawings: A rare modernist gem sensitively restored and transformed into a thriving public-facing hotel with extensive nods to various modernist movements and a local, contemporary culture.
Make a reservation: Municipal Megali
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Photo by Brooke Holm.
