Drift Santa Barbara is a project designed by ANACAPA Architecture. The 45-key hotel, situated in the heart of downtown at 524 State Street, is a modern reincarnation of a 20th-century hotel that once occupied this location. One of the only downtown survivors of the 1925 Santa Barbara earthquake, the building has stood for well over 100 years and has had many lives. For the previous 10 years prior to its current transformation, the 15,617-square-foot building had served as the home of the Church of Scientology, largely cut off from the community through it’s the walls. The design approach preserves the sense of mystery while bringing an unexpected and design-forward travel experience to the popular leisure area. Through impactful and intentional design decisions, the team brought modern life to a building inaccessible to most of the community for so long, bringing a breath of fresh air to downtown catering to all. Photography by Erin Feinblatt.

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