Type: Hotel
Bedrooms: 141
Construction: Existing building rooftop extension and ground floor remodelling
Status: Planning

A full building appraisal was carried out to identify opportunities for expansion with limited disruption to the operation of a live hotel.  It was determined that a rooftop extension was the preferred approach to achieve the brief requirements and re-instate the building within the rapidly changing contemporary scale of the urban block and immediate context. The main challenge identified was the connection to the existing building mass, while allowing the iconic copper screen to retain its presence in line with the existing building concept and approach.

The existing, recessed plant level is retained and acts as a visual horizontal separating layer, creating a clear definition between new and old.  The articulation of our proposals is primarily expressed by the solid, mineral nature of the Argyle street façade, allowing the opportunity to maintain the original monolithic concept and create a backdrop to the fluid form and materiality of the iconic folded copper screen. A single, tapered vertical opening is proposed along the axis of the circulation spaces.

The massing is simplified along both Oswald and Robertson Street with a light glazed infill core that is reflective of the existing proportional arrangement. The extended lift core acts as a light connection back to the existing building form and creates a relief to the building mass.