Inn the Middle of a Masterpiece

Middleton Inn WG Clark 

On a recent trip to Charleston, SC a group of architecture buddies and I decided to stop by an inn just outside of the city. After a long car ride down winding streets and through tall trees we arrived at our destination, the Middleton Inn. The Inn is actually a later addition to a large historic landmark called Middleton Place.  The large plantation is home to landscaped gardens and buildings that date back as far as the 18th century.  The inn acts as more of a place of retreat and relaxation for those visiting Middleton place.  It's secluded location amongst the giant trees creates a peaceful oasis overlooking the  river water.  

The inn has 53 rooms in a series of smaller complexes such as the one pictured above. Each part of the inn seems to be a part of it's site.  It seems as if it had grown out of the landscape with the over grown vines that crawl up the sides of the thick concrete walls.  The inn is so embedded in it's context that it does not take away from the tall trees around it.  The live oaks and pines seem to live in harmony with it. 

One with Nature

Another feature I enjoy is the use of repetition that WG Clark employs with the repeated cubes where the rooms are located.  Each cube is locked into the main "L" shaped spine by a wall that pierces through its center.  The form of the square is also repeated in the window panels and window cut outs on the side wall.  

The Middleton Inn is a great example of how architecture fits into the landscape and improves a place.