Brandon Scott Roye: Walk us through the hotel’s connection to Bauhaus.
Todd Kennedy, Partner at CCY Architects: “It's really about Aspen's relationship to Bauhaus more than the hotel's directly. The Paepcke family, the matriarch and patriarch of modern-day Aspen, brought Herbert Bayer, an architect who studied under Walter Gropius, out to help shape the city's cultural identity. They saw Bauhaus as the physical expression of the 'Aspen Idea': the balance of nature, mind, and body. “When we started this project, we wanted to honor that legacy, but reinterpret it. What does Bauhaus mean today, on Main Street, in the mountains? For us, it came down to minimalism and material specificity. Instead of glass, concrete, and steel, we used dark iridescent brick that mirrors the tone of the surrounding elk mountains, and vertical wood siding patterned after looking through a grove of aspen trees.”
Brandon: How did Aspen’s discerning design regulations shape the project?
Todd: This project took about ten years. But the process works, guiding you toward architecture that fits without reinventing Aspen's character. “What made MOLLIE interesting is that we sit at a threshold between two contexts: a historic Victorian neighborhood to the west and the commercial district to the east. We used the underlying historic lot lines as a module to create rhythm across the Main Street facade. The building moves in and out in response to that cadence. You wouldn't consciously notice it, but you feel it. “We also stepped down to two stories on the corner nearest the Victorian neighbor rather than pushing three stories to the property line. That constraint became an asset—now one of our best suites, with a deck looking south to Aspen Mountain and north toward Red Mountain.
Brandon: Tell me about your collaboration with Post Company for the brand and interiors.
Todd: The exterior architecture was largely complete before Post Company came on. But their partner, Ruben Caldwell, is based in Jackson Hole, so he arrived with real mountain sensibility. From the start, we were kindred spirits—he appreciated the rigor we brought to the exterior, and we were genuinely excited to work with him. The reason the architecture and interiors hold together is that both teams truly valued what the other brought. “And of course, the owners, Michael and Aaron Brown, were incredibly invested throughout. Projects like this don't succeed without clients who care about every detail and push you to get it right.
Brandon: How would you describe a stay at MOLLIE Aspen in comparison to five-star stays nearby?
Todd: On par in sophistication, but far more casual. It feels as much like walking into someone's living room as it does a hotel. The scale is warm and human. There's also a very intentional relationship to the sun and outdoor space. The breakfast terrace faces east to catch the morning light. The rooftop gets all-day sun. The sunset terrace on the west side was designed specifically to capture that end-of-day light. Because we're positioned far enough from Aspen Mountain—unlike properties at the base that look up—the rooftop has a panoramic sweep from Independence Pass to Shadow Mountain that doesn't exist anywhere else in town.
Brandon: What was the foundational vision for the guest experience?
Todd: The threshold for success in a small town like Aspen is creating a place that becomes part of the community fabric, not just a hotel. Guests want authentic experiences, and part of that is being where the locals are. So the lobby was always conceived as a living room for the community. That energy from beyond the hotel walls enriches the experience for everyone inside it.
Brandon: I know that sustainability was a strong consideration. Tell us about your innovations.
Todd: A roughly 60-kilowatt solar array on the roof directly powers a series of heat pumps that provide all heating and cooling for the guest rooms. When the sun is out, the system runs without pulling from the grid at all. The wood siding is thermally modified Radiata pine, a fast-growing species far more sustainable than old-growth cedar or redwood. The window system maximizes glazing without compromising energy performance. And Post Company minimized dyes and chemical treatments throughout the interiors to protect indoor air quality for guests and construction workers alike.
Aspen, Colorado, United States
