project_ InterContinental Double Bay
location_ Doubl e Bay, Australia
designer_ Bates Smart
text Gilli an Serisier
photography_ Anson Smart
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Once t e hotel of choice for debutantes, the sailing elite and travelli g socialites, the InterContinental Double Bay had faded. Bates Smart's exemplary refit sets its sights on reinstating the luxury and glamour to both the hotel and Double Bay with a fitout that sui~s locals and visitors alike.
Glamorously reinstating the uber chic of mock Regency, Bates Smart has very cleverly chosen to emphasise rather than repress the scale and pomp of this class ic Double Bay estab lishment. The 1902 bones of the former Ritz ca:rlton " were just rig ht", according to Bates Smart studio director, Brenton Smith . Well, almost. Where the exterior boasts the classic symmetry of Regency, some of the interior architecture is off-centre, including the lateral lobby thoroughfare, which pairs with the bal lroom entrance, but not the exterior window of the same line. This, however, is quibbling and arguab ly an aspect only an architect or designer would notice. And it is here that Bates Smart has succeeded so well with the project. It has not quibbled with unnecessary changes. It has,
rather, looked through a grande dame of a building and found beautiful woodwork , impeccable marble, grand enfilades and brass lifts to die for. The fitout, while acknowledging the past, is far from staid; nor has it followed the Hollywood Regency route of Greg Natale or Jonathan Adler. Rather, Bates Smart has played on Regency themes within a contemporary and subtle palette that makes a feature of line, form and the opulent expanses of marble -the lobby most pointedly so. with a combination of co mplementary grey tones picking out the woodwork detail in tune with the warm greys of the marble floor, concierge and reception co unter. Livening the whole is a bespoke feature piece of sma ll sai l- like brass pendants t hat occupies the stair void (bespoke design
with Electrolight, manufactured by Li ght Force). As an introduction to those arriving by stairs, it is subtly elegant (the lower floor provides a thoroughfare to shopping and a anteroom-style waiting area). For those arriving by elevator, it discounts the void, w hile for both it attracts the eye across the void to the back view into the bar. Structurally, it creates a false line towards the lobby with out obfuscating the architectural repetitions of Regency. Once the lob by is navigated and the Stillery lounge (and gin bar) reached, the sai ls of the feature become a backdrop to a range of nautical nuance . The small brass rail, as a gimbal, keeping bottles in place is the most overt of these traces, while tones are nautical in ambience rather than signals. Brass pendant lamps w ith a cross- section
!QQ-Existing marble and woodwork has been restored and recontextualised within a contemporary milieu. Q.Q!!Q.m-A bespoke geometric carpet design exaggerates the formal enfilade of the mock Regency foyer. opposite-A bespoke feature pendant of brass sails activates the stair void while drawing the eye to the activity of the gin bar. previous-Brass fittings coupled with rich shades of b lue and grey add a nautical u ndercurrent without overwhelming.
below- A bespoke padded bar in pale grey blue leather is paired with a lit expanse of veined marble. Bespoke brass lighting and rails continue the nautical subtleties. opposite-Bespoke furnishings in a minimal palette of mat erial and colour afford a chic simplicity well- suited to the bouti que delicat essen style of dining .
star figurat ion or the pale blue velvet upholstery and wenge carpentry and floorboards (Tongue n Groove, Raba Eterno Piccolo). for example, are not so much nautical as of a yachty ilk, akin to linen suits and deck shoes. Again the timberwork and marble have been retained as a feature (additional marble for the bar, Artedomus' Calacatta Oro), while the luxu rious bespoke carpet is both crisply designed and sumptuously deep. Key to this area is a particularly hip friendly padded leather bar rail, which allows patrons t o lean comfortably and, in doing so, effectively fosters a far more relaxed experience than previous iterations . Conversely, the significant cei ling height and overall volume have been reinforced as formal elements, with cornices and mouldings highlighting the repeated structural motif of cathedral - like wi ndow s. The enfilade between the Still ery and the ballroom is similarly reinforced with a
bespoke carpet in key grey tones . Offering soundproofing and a soften ing stripe is Kvadrat Maharam's Tek- Wa ll Ombre in Egret (both carpet and wal l fin ish explo red as iterations in the ballroom). This cascade of rooms is not without utility and the bathrooms found here are as signif icantly proport ioned as t he remainder of these public spaces. The ball room is of a stature befitting the glamour of old school Double Bay and something of a feather in the cap for Bates Smart , in that it not only answers the client brief, but also that of the Double Bay locals and council to ensure a publicly supported outcome. The result? A ballroom (with kosher kitchen) that has been constantly booked since the hotel reopened. Th e client in th is case is of in terest, as this is the first hotel in Australia by the Singapore- based Royal Group, with the InterContinental coming in to the project midway. Effectively, the Royal Group envisaged the hotel as a central support to
below-Texture and tone coalesce to deliver the luxurious qualities of beautifully appointed textiles and fi nishes. opposit e-Continuing the nautical sensibility, the roofto p pool area draws o n a palette reminiscent of luxury cruising, Greek isles and idilic ho lidays.
an array of restaurants and retail, with a food and beverage offer ing that wor ked as part of a precinct rather t han stand-alone. To this end, the hotel has several different dining options: Clu b InterContinental, Stockroom and t he more relaxed poolside experience. Both the Club and Stockroom present a boutique delicatessen-style buffet of a slightly Provenc;ale ambience, with the Club be ing marginally more luxu rious in terms of both finishes and repasts. Cove rs are kept to a minimum, as are materials and tones. The Stockroom is made warm by the addition of yellow to the carpet, w hi le the Club is made European via access t o the formal geometries of t he hotel's internal courtyard. Custom fu rniture, such as the slimli ne banquette seati ng with LED lighting or the f luted linen wall panelli ng, keeps the palette an d sty le co ntained and fre sh. The pool, however, is pure Greek Island op ulence and very mu ch fits th e brief for a return of glamour to Double Bay. "It was very impo rtant to the c lient and the local
community that the project en capsulate the luxury that has p reviously been synonymo us with Dou ble Bay," says Brenton Smith. Individual booths, day beds, gently wafting li nen, sun drenched limestone, a perfect blue infinity pool... and then there is always the view. Indeed, the infinity line marries with Sydney Harbour to exce llent effect. More importantly, the design that leads to the pool by degrees has bee n o pti m ised to c reate an exper ience that is both intimate and completely oste ntatio us. Even the size and shape of the glasses conspire towards the holiday tone. The rooms themselves hover between str uctural formality and relaxed nautical, w ith texture and tone conveyi ng luxury and opu lence. Scale is paramo unt and, while the ceilings are lower than the grand public spaces, the suites, arranged as a vo lley of sq uares, read as a truncat ed hou se. Often w ith multiple bathrooms, the arrangement provides opportunity for privacy and separate pu rsuits within a single dwelling . Again , luxury is delivered through ri ch
materiality, coupling leather, velvet, silk, timber and woo l w ithin a neutral under palette punctuated with blues. Glass-paned doors have been inserted as an additional layer of intimacy, while the beautiful marble of t he bathrooms has been repolished and allowed a second li fe. Rare is a hotel an exploration of sustainab le reuse, particu larly one as luxurious as t he Inter Continental. Marb le of this quality is equally rare, as is the impeccable woodwork and scale of layout, which Bates Smart has done well to champion and retain. This aside, t he crowning glory of the project remains the pool and pool area on the roof. Quashing concerns that a rooftop poo l equates to party central, the area is in fact deci dedly calm, ambient and exceedingly wellappointed. It is also the perfect finish ing tou ch , whic h aligns this property with international contemporary hotels of the large bo utique ilk. Moreover, it is arguably better than most, and most decid edly a better use of the view than any. lDI