When I read about Hilton taking their “first” step into modular, in another publication a few weeks ago, it hit me. My dad, a commercial modular pioneer, always told me that what was once old is new again — and that was never more true than thinking about this step and comparing it with what happened in 1968, when Hilton built the Palacio del Rio on the San Antonio Riverwalk for the World’s Fair. While not modular as in the same way as today’s wood and CFS frame options, it was their first, first step into the world of modular construction.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
The Hilton Palacio del Rio is a 500-room, 21-story hotel in San Antonio, Texas that opened in 1968. The hotel was constructed for the 1968 World’s Fair, HemisFair ’68, and was designed by Cerna & Garza Architects. The structure is notable for being a milestone in the use of Modular building construction techniques.
Traditional construction methods would not allow the hotel to be completed in the short timeframe available before for the opening of the fair on April 6, 1968, so alternative methods were explored. H.B. Zachry Company utilized traditional construction to build the first 4 floors, slip form construction for the services/elevator core of the building and all guest rooms of the hotel were constructed as modular units in a location 8 miles from the construction site. Modular units were built complete with plumbing fixtures, lighting, art work, furnishings and even ash trays. In a nationally televised event, H.B. Zachry and his wife Molly were the first people to check into and “ride” their hotel room, Room No. 522, into the hotel. All rooms were placed in 46 days and the structure was completed in a record 202 working days. The hotel opened 5 days early on April 1, 1968.
Over the years, I have stayed at that hotel for personal and professional events, and I smile each time I remember my dad talking about the challenges and forward thinking it took, not just to build this using modular construction, but doing it back in 1968. I too spent my “1st career” in the commercial modular industry and have been involved in similar projects. Best wishes to the new Hilton visionaries. Learn from your forefathers, as the first, first time Hilton went modular was way back in 1968.