CL Hotels selected Gary Todd Architecture to create a Designer hotel in Dunedin. The hotel’s interior design was to be clearly articulated, reflective of its context, unique in its level of detailing and offering a bespoke ‘modern’ experience. Indyk Architects from Australia were selected to design the interiors. The clients were committed to an integration of Art in all areas.
Project Name: EBB DUNEDIN NZ
Studio Name: Indyk Architects
Completion date: 2021
Building levels: 4
Location: Dunedin, New Zealand
Photography: Jeremy Hooper
The interiors were to provide comfort, inspiring an exploration of design, city life and landscape. Public and private spaces were to combine art, luxury and innovation. The hotel café bar was to provide for hotel guests and the Dunedin community. Hotel guestrooms were to offer different levels of luxury with flexibility.
RESPONSE TO BRIEF:
The use of art on glazed facades informed a contextual story weaving architecture with interiors of luxurious materials and detail intent. The hotel core centres around a light filled atrium where mezzanine ‘art’ walkways are visible from the café courtyard and reception, creating a public space of intrigue. Walkways end in the north in public mezzanine lounges, with their own character, created through choice of furniture and fabrics. The Reception and Café spaces as partner glass rooms within the Entry Atrium garden, have walls lined in gloss green tiles, green stone slabs or joinery. Guestrooms are designed with rich flexibility as bathrooms open up allowing spatial extension to rooms.
MATERIALS AND DETAIL INTENT:
Explorations of the city and site history inspired design and materiality. Indyk were influenced by the clarity of light, wall murals and heritage buildings of 1860’s Dunedin with their basalt and Oamaru stone banding juxtaposed against ‘verdigris’ roofscapes.
A robust palette of quality materials with contemporary detail intent was conceived.
Within an architecture of steel, concrete and glass, is the interior fitout of black and white bold terrazzo bathrooms, ribbed glass sliding doors, and bespoke steel framed oak joinery with ‘verdigris’ and chrome highlights level 2,3 and indigo and brass highlights on level 4. Bespoke carpets and joinery, rich velvets all add a luxurious tactility.
INNOVATION AND CREATIVITY:
Indyk Architects designed unique bedheads, timber shelf units supporting minibar joinery, tiered minibar displays, independent wardrobes, working within a matrix of materials and textures. All items are free standing for efficient installation. This level of detailing continues into bathrooms where bespoke sliding systems allow for continuity of space.
The Reception’s bespoke joinery conceals the office entry and creates a depth for use and display. The entire joinery fitout was locally manufactured. The Indyk designed Reception rug, inspired by Rosalie Gascoigne, NZ Australian artist, creates a ground plain of varied rich greens with abstract black cyclamen lines upon which furniture sit.
