Photograph by Lance Adkins
It’s not every day you lift weights in a bank vault that’s more than a century old, but that’s the typical workout for guests at the downtown Courtyard Marriott. The hotel opened in 2021, and the 16-story building itself dates back to 1903 when it was known as the Ingalls Building—the world’s first reinforced concrete skyscraper. Railroad magnate and financial investor Melville E. Ingalls had to lobby city officials for two years to approve construction, as the tallest concrete structure at the time was only six stories high.
Photograph by Lance Adkins
Eventually, Ingalls got the green light, and the 210-foot tower popularized concrete high-rise construction. In 1974, the American Society of Civil Engineers designated the building a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark and in 1975 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In the 2021 renovation, the Marriott’s architecture firms made sure to retain and restore many original historical features, including the bank vault, creating a one-of-a kind gym.