The renovation of the Regency was part of a master plan to update the entire five-block Embarcadero Center. For the renovation, the strong design of the original buildings was maintained, while responding to a changing city and marketplace. Twenty years of increased retail activity generated by the Embarcadero Center and the connection to the waterfront brought about by the demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway created a need for a more open and accessible hotel. The design goal was to keep the basic bones intact, enliven the public spaces, and improve the project’s contact with the city. Hotel rooms, ballrooms, meeting rooms, and public spaces were renovated and suite layouts were developed. Lighting improvements added drama to the artwork and the volume of the atrium. In front of the hotel, along Drumm Street, planters and fin walls were removed, transforming the dark, tunnel-like porte cochere into a light-filled arcade. Inside the hotel, spaces were reconfigured to create new pre-function areas, and the lobbies and public spaces were upgraded to meet the latest ADA standards.