How do you build for today without becoming obsolete tomorrow?

As industry experts heed disruptions from the pandemic and changing technological needs, The New York Times reports that the Bottleworks Hotel is a gleaming example of an adaptive reuse project – designed to withstand the current shift toward increasingly shorter building life spans.

The RATIO-designed hotel and centerpiece of the mixed-use Bottleworks District combines modern luxury with an impressive display of the former 1930s Coca-Cola bottling plant’s Art Deco splendor. Forward-thinking, it embraces flexibility without foregoing amenities and user needs. This high-profile redevelopment creates a human-scaled, highly contextual neighborhood fabric across more than one million SF of retail, residential, and office space. RATIO also provided urban design, landscape architecture, and preservation services for the entire 11-acre campus.

As adaptive reuse projects continue to offer an appealing alternative to demolition, the value of diversification is apparent. Diversification can protect developers and real estate investors against the pitfalls of shorter building life spans. And in this case, it will also help revitalize Indianapolis’ downtown as it transitions to a post-pandemic world.