The Silverbow Bakery is the oldest continually operating bakery in Alaska. It was started by the Messerschmidt family in 1898 in a two story wood structure. In 1914 they added a three story concrete building and in the 1960s a one story addition was built to house a modern bakery.

The current owners purchased the complex in 1997, focusing the bakery efforts on New York style bagels. Their business also includes a deli, catering, and an inn. The owners lived in an apartment on the second floor of the original 1898 structure, and wanted to expand the capacity of the hotelwhile continuing to live on the property. We developed a scheme to renovate their apartment into guest rooms and add a new two story apartment above the bakery for their own residence.

The owners are native New Yorkers and wanted their building to embrace the urban environment and feel like a loft space. The massing of the addition creates a variety of urban outdoor spaces for the family and hotel guests to enjoy. There are three decks: one for inn guests, a small private deck for the owner’s hot tub, and a deck on top for large parties.

The exterior metal siding refers to the material historically used for mining structures in Juneau. The curtain wall front maximizes the brilliant views of the mountains and waterfront. The purple glass spandrel panels hide seismic bracing and match the purple the bakery uses on their merchandise.

In December of 2013, NorthWind completed the latest stage in the renovation of the Silberbow Inn: updating and renovating the existing Inn’s lobby and introducing a new wine bar. Using a clean, modern aesthetic, the renovation allowed a better use of the small space, which now includes lounge seating, a fireplace, a lobby desk, and a bar.