SPS Tower Turf Club
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Eckenhoff Saunders began working closely with ownership and management teams to reimagine the property and its tenants’ amenities. As part of a master plan strategy, one of the first focus areas was the ground floor outdoor space known as the ‘Turf Club.’ In its initial development, SPS Tower featured a second tower that was never constructed, allowing for an ample open green space at street level. The team’s goal was to create a more useable and visually appealing exterior amenity for the tenants. The final design utilizes one of Minneapolis’s many skyway bridges to anchor a new outdoor bar that can provide countertop seating for lunch during the week or transform it into a backdrop for event catering in the evening.
The wood trellis and simple concrete materials compliment the warm tones of the existing exterior granite building cladding while providing a contemporary focal point for outdoor activities. Once consigned to an unused grass area, the space is reimagined with new pavers, landscaping, and modern exterior furniture to serve as a casual outdoor café. Lastly, Eckenhoff Saunders added an impressive stone screen wall and planter to the south side of the property to limit views of the existing parking garage access ramp, loading dock, and new outdoor storage, creating a secluded niche for casual dining or future restaurant tenants. Finally, through careful coordination with the owner, building management team, and general contractor, the project team, delivered an impressive new amenity unique to downtown Minneapolis that will allow tenants to relax in a modern urban oasis.