Source : THE AGE NEWS
Brass-edged doorways, smoked mirrored joinery and sumptuous furniture, including boucle-covered lounges, are just a few luxurious details in this new east-end hotel.
There’s even a separate powder room for guests in some suites, where the materials and colour palettes capture the essence of Melbourne’s CBD – its reddish brick walls and muted colours such as olives, burgundy and ochres.
Named Melbourne Place Hotel, it was designed by architects Kennedy Nolan.
Unusually for a hotel, the colour white is banished. East-facing rooms are painted a deep, calming green.Credit: Anson Smart
The independent hotel, located on the corner of Melbourne Place and Russell Street, is surrounded by architectural gems, many of which were built in the early 20th century.
The precast concrete facade has a self-shading system of either steel or aluminium awnings.Credit: Derek Swalwell
Kennedy Nolan was keen to create a solid or chunky building that reflected the quality of its neighbours – thickset rather than lightweight glazed facades that are referred to by architect Patrick Kennedy as reminiscent of a “glass perfume bottle”.
The precast concrete facade, with its self-shading system – or brise-soleil – of either steel or aluminium awnings, not only provides depth but, importantly, a veil for protection against the hotel’s western orientation.
The architects also used Corten steel, jarrah for walls and ceilings, together with customised terrazzo floors. There’s also a dose of marble with burgundy or deep olive hues in the mix.
“Everything has been customised with leading Melbourne artisans or suppliers,” says Kennedy, pointing out the tiles from Domus and the lighting by Volker Haug.
The independent hotel, located on the corner of Melbourne Place and Russell Street, is surrounded by architectural gems, many of which were built in the early 20th century.Credit: Derek Swalwell
Guests enter a cavernous lobby where the steel reception bench is framed by artist Atong Atem’s video installation. Atem’s photographs also feature in the hotel’s moody corridors, where they act as signposts for guests to find their rooms.
Kennedy shows me a series of suites across 16 levels, from the singular penthouse covering 100 square metres to the more modest business suites.
“The penthouse can also be used for functions and events but it usually attracts the celebrities,” says Kennedy, pointing out the grand piano and a substantial dining space that can easily accommodate a dinner party for 12.
While the rooms vary both in size and colour palette, there’s a level of finish that’s consistent, with nifty design details. In some standard rooms, the vanity forms part of the joinery immediately past the door, separate to the curvaceous tiled showers.
“It’s a place where you can also place your luggage, rather than having to squeeze cases next to beds,” Kennedy says.
Timber doors that slide into cavity walls allow the bathroom to be part of the bedroom or to remain private. In some instances, porthole windows allow you to see the skyline while showering.
Unusually for a hotel, the colour white is banished. There are no white plaster walls lining corridors or in rooms, and even the Frette bed linen is dyed in muted soft tones, appropriate for the palette in each room.
The hotel also went against the grain in having operable windows to allow fresh air to circulate. For those wanting a midair experience, there’s a restaurant with the same name on level 12.
Given our love of the outdoors, Kennedy Nolan included large external protected terraces with open fireplaces. The feature wraparound terrace is even larger than the restaurant itself. Its casual ambience reflects a preference for fewer stitched-up spaces and is akin to being in your own backyard but, in this case, several levels above the pavement.
Melbourne Place Hotel was designed by Kennedy Nolan.Credit: Anson Smart
“At night this area literally glows in the western light,” adds Kennedy, who included a series of large-scale brick portals on the terrace that neatly frame Melbourne’s skyline.
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