Project Overview
Located in Darling Harbour, adjacent to the new International Convention Centre, the 5 star Sofitel Darling Harbour sets the benchmark for luxury and exceptional experience and is the first 5 star hotel to be built since the Sydney 2000 Olympics.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Mike Watson
Tom Blackshaw
Cameron Ng
Agnes Audy
Project Brief
A+ Design Group were commissioned as the Interior Designers for all 590 Guestrooms and Public Areas with the exception of the Level 3 Restaurant & Bar.
Our brief was to create a luxury hotel which combined French elegance and Sydney contemporary design.
Our central concept avoided the cliched black & white images of Paris; we looked at context for our starting point. While Sydney is a gateway city of 5 million people it is also a harbour city with close proximity to surf beaches and bushland. With this in mind we proposed a French overlay that referenced the South of France rather than the urban metropolis of Paris. We also drew inspiration for joinery and furniture detailing from French luggage, washstands and traditional finishes.
In the guestrooms we have used a base finishes palette that picks up the colours of Sydney sandstone, bleached timbers of a holiday house or boat deck and the pale soft greys of the harbour on a overcast day. We have combined this with a soft finishes overlay inspired by the South of France; pops of colour from the beachside buildings, yachts, beach umbrellas and lavender fields of Provence. Our custom guestrooms and corridor carpets are inspired the cross sections of Sydney sandstone.
In the public areas we have generally used a darker ‘business like’ base palette as a contrast to the lighter rooms but still keeps the pops of colour overlay.
Throughout our joinery and custom furniture detailing you will see references to luggage, boats, beach houses, traditional furniture combined with a rich mix of materials (timber, stone, leather, fabrics and the like) .
Project Innovation/Need
With respect to the guestroom bathrooms the two external walls are entirely built of custom joinery, including large sliding glass doors and tongue & groove timber panelling which runs into the bathroom. Given this is a 590 room hotel and the joinery was produce off-shore the documentation had to be both detailed and accommodate site tolerances.
The washstand-inspired vanity units were all made off-shore with some of them incorporating the minibar fridge. This required clever detailing and close coordination with the manufacturer as well as the site team from installation.
There are guestroom and suite bathrooms which are on the external glazing line which required careful planning and coordination with the architects given this is a curtain wall building.
Design Challenge
The design challenge, like most major hotel projects, was balancing the sometimes competing needs and requirements of the various stakeholders. After a four and a half year journey we managed to deliver a luxury 5 star that the whole project team is proud of despite these competing interests.
Sustainability
There was a conscious effort on the project to sourcing materials and work with suppliers and manufacturers that met sustainable business practices and were not harmful to the environment or workers. This applied to timbers, textiles, furniture and played a big role in determining which suppliers and manufacturers were ultimately involved in the project.
Interior Design - Hospitality - Stay
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors where people sleep, accomodation such as hotels, furnished apartments, resorts and even private clubs. Judging consideration is given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration is also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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