Image Credit : Eric Thai
Project Overview
Located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD, Hilton Hotel wanted to embrace the local landscape and city views whilst remaining warm & welcoming for all those that visited. With panoramic skyline & iconic views were the focal point externally, the internal design complemented it with a light & bright office space paying homage to neutral tones and embracing a soft residential feel.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Hot Black - Interior Design
JLL - PM & Construction Management
Project Brief
The brief was to create a homely and inviting office space for external guests and Hilton staff alike, with the intent of this project to be the benchmark for future offices around the world and emphasise the rich history of Hilton Hotels worldwide.
Upon entering the space, guests are greeted with a vista through to the neighbouring Pitt Street Hilton Hotel, which is framed as the focal point of the front of house zone. A clear visual of the Sydney hotel was paramount, to pay homage to the core values and beliefs of Hilton.
Materiality was crucial to convey the homely, residential feel as soon as you walk into the office. Although the space is situated in the heart of Sydney CBD, you are transported to an environment of worldly hospitality and comfort.
Soft timbers and pastel colours are accentuated by bronze detailing and the space embraces you with a feature waved ceiling. ‘The Social’, as the breakout area is fondly known to by staff, has a slightly brighter injection of colour and creates a space to disassociate from the office environment. The ‘Thrive’ Room sits comfortably off the breakout space, creating a sanctuary for some midday quiet time and each meeting room takes on a personality of its own. Having been named after other Hilton offices situated in the Asia Pacific region, each room is embellished via the use of graphics to celebrate its individuality and allows visitors to experience the story behind Hilton Hotel.
Project Innovation/Need
Working closely with the client to understand the key concept drivers of the new space, a warm and inviting residential feel was quickly identified as the most important aspect of this new office design. Dialling up the notion of a hotel or residential feel didn’t stop at the front of house zone. The furniture considerations for the staff breakout area, meeting rooms and open workspace were all reviewed to ensure they aligned with the desired concept and blurred the line between commercial workplace & a hotel offering.
We believe the traditional office space is no longer the norm. The idea of introducing hospitality and residential tones into an office environment can aid in staff engagement & culture. People are spending more time at the office than ever before, so we have designed an office to increase their sense of pride, support workplace agility & increase comfort in a place people interact with everyday.
Design Challenge
The main challenge that presented itself on the project was the programme.
The design phase started towards the end of the year which resulted in construction being scheduled over the Christmas/New Year period. Not only did this present challenges in the way of a condensed construction time frame, but also impacted on selected furniture and fixtures lead times.
As a solution to this challenge, our design sourced furniture & fixtures from Australian distributors and manufacturers which meant we were able to work during the Christmas closure and ensure items were delivered to site on time.
Towards the completion of the project, our team was presented with another challenge due to the emerging COVID-19 pandemic. Safety measures were exaggerated on site and strict procedures were put into place to ensure the completion of the project with zero complications. To the success of the contractors, everyone worked around the clock to ensure the project was completed on time.
Sustainability
With the concept for the Hilton Hotels Head Office in Sydney stemming from the local Sydney landscape and organic forms, it was important to ensure that the design direction reflected that. By selecting local Australian suppliers for furniture, finishes and fittings, we were able to concentrate on 'supporting local' and using homegrown products.
We particularly focused on products that were being specified were not only sourced from local suppliers, but also supported local manufacturers and communities around Australia. Hot Black recognises how important it is to support local Australian distributors and this was identified as a key component in the project brief.
Interior Design - Commercial
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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