INDUS ATHENS | THE LOSTRO BUILDING
The Lostro Building transforms a historic Athens landmark into a mixed-use hospitality destination, weaving together restaurant, lodging, and preservation to create a new chapter for one of the city's most recognizable downtown buildings.
ATHENS, OH, 2024
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Located directly across from Ohio University, the project introduces restaurant space at street level and extended-stay accommodations above, creating a new destination for visitors while reinforcing the energy of the surrounding campus district.
At its core, the project is an exercise in preservation through activation. Rather than treating the existing structure as an obstacle, the design embraces the building's historic masonry, proportions, and industrial character as defining assets. New hospitality uses are carefully integrated within the existing framework, allowing contemporary expectations for comfort and flexibility to coexist with the authenticity that gives the building its identity.
The transformation establishes a civic presence for a building that has long contributed to Athens' architectural fabric, extending its relevance for another generation. By balancing historic preservation, adaptive reuse, and economic development, the project demonstrates how aging commercial buildings can become catalysts for renewed investment, neighborhood vitality, and cultural continuity.

