Genesee Building/Hyatt Regency-Buffalo - Table of Contents  ..........................  Fountain Plaza - Table of Contents

Atrium - Genesee Building/Hyatt Regency-Buffalo
2 Fountain Plaza, Buffalo, NY
Hyatt Regency-Buffalo Official Home Page

The City of Buffalo launched a plan to construct a new neighborhood between Chippewa and Genesee Streets by securing the interest of the Hyatt Regency Company to develop a hotel near the theater, business and Convention Center districts.  Original plans called for demolition of the Genesee Building and construction of a Hyatt Hotel glass tower.  This created some angst in the community, which was desperate for redevelopment, but conflicted about losing the iconic green-copper roofed landmark. Local businessman Paul Snyder agreed in December 1980 to be the Hyatt Hotel developer.  By October, architects Gruzen & Partners determined that the Genesee Building could be saved and be made part of the hotel project.  The use of Genesee Street, already blocked by the Convention Center, for the hotel atrium and banquet center was seen as a compromise worth making to retain the historic Genesee Building.  -Buffaflo Place: Fountain Plaza (online JMarch 2022_

Atrium Exterior Flanking glass pavilion (atrium) - in Postmodern style - is a 1984 addition to the former Genesee Building at right                Left: Berger's Department Store/Belesario Apts. Tall building in background:  Rand Building Window washers at work

Genesee Building Facade Genesee Building facade transformed into an interior wall with the glass addition of the arium which served as a restaurant and mezzanine lounge Original Genesee Building entrance on Genesee Street                         Details below: Original Genesee Building entrance                       Cast iron Broken pediment with cartouche                                           C scrolls Original Genesee Building entrance seen from behind the elevator to the mezzanine level               Note flanking twisted cast iron columns   Ionic style  twisted cast iron columns                                  Note putto Grotesque Basket with scrolling acanthus leaves Griffins

Restaurant and Lounge Main floor restaurant                         Mezzanine lounge at left View of the restaurant from the mezzanine Restaurant glass wall Escalator to mezzanine Mezzanine lounge Mezzanine lounge View of the restaurant glass wall  from the mezzanine lounge

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