Today we #TBT to one of Boise’s most distinctive landmarks, the art deco Hoff Building (formerly known as the Hotel Boise). Once the tallest building in Idaho, the Hoff has held a distinctive place on the Boise skyline since 1930.

“Boise’s premier land developer, Walter E. Pierce, build Hotel Boise, which was completed in 1930. It sat only one block from the state capitol, and its 10 stories dwarfed all other downtown buildings. Its design was art deco, signaling a new period in area architecture. Soon thereafter, large neon signs were anchored on top of the building, but they were removed in the 1970s when a restaurant was added. The plans were drawn in Tourtellotte & Hummel’s Portland office, and Frank Hummel was the designer. The impressive interior consisted mainly of brass, glass, and abstract ornamentation. Its ballroom boasts fluted Ionic pilasters and friezes, all in a modern form that complements its classic origins and tastes.” (quoted from Images of America: Boise by Frank Thompson, 2009)

“…with the 1978 renovation of the hotel, the obtrusive [neon Hotel Boise] signs were removed. A taller penthouse was added and is closer to Frank Hummel’s first sketches that what was built in 1930.” (from Historic Boise: An Introduction to the Architecture of Boise, Idaho, 1863-1938 by Arthur Hart, 1985)