Johnsen Schmaling Architects

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Completion Date: 2009 Owner: Marcus Hotels & Resorts Program: A 960-square-foot basement lounge and dining room serving the janitors, cooks, and maids of Milwaukee's Pfister Hotel. Design concept and solution: Carving out a new canteen from a provisional break room and a smattering of residual spaces, the architects wanted to create a communal gathering place that offers a respite from the formality of the Romanesque Revival hotel upstairs. The perimeter of the canteen weaves around foundation columns and mechanical areas to unify all usable space into one room. A 21-foot harvest table anchors the canteen and encourages communal dining. In