Capital at Play: What’s He Building in There?
The Omni Grove Park Inn’s Seely Pavilion and Event Lawn is open for business. The building, located to the south of the historic inn, features a churchlike ceiling with open trussing made with reclaimed Douglas fir. It is supported by dry-stack stone columns, with similar masonry designed into the hearth of the large fireplace. Six pairs of ceiling-to-floor glass windows and doors open panoramic views to the Blue Ridge Mountains and the 18-hole golf course designed by Donald Ross. The floor is fashionable polished concrete. While sporting a rustic, craftsman veneer, the building is equipped with modern amenities for food service and entertainment. The pavilion will join the Country Club, Mountain View Terrace, and Skyline Room in the inn’s portfolio of event spaces. It was built as a year-round small-events venue, for get-togethers like business retreats, weddings, and reunions; and it is named after Frederick Loring Seely, the original inn’s designer and first general manager. The project, designed by Beck Architecture from Austin, Texas, was completed on-time and on-budget by Frampton Construction, headquartered in Charlotte. The Grove Park Inn was built in 1913.