Barangaroo
Clockwise from below: Crystal chandelier from Preciosa; powder room in Calacatta marble; a sheet of rainbow onyx
LISA ALLEN
Treasure hunt Its creators searched far and wide for the luxurious materials of One Barangaroo’s interiors The international design team behind Sydney’s opulent Crown Residences at One Barangaroo have spent a considerable amount of time in Europe sourcing specialist design materials for the project. Their plan was to unearth unique materials different from anything available in Australia, according to One Barangaroo’s designer, the British architect and co-founder of WilkinsonEyre, Chris Wilkinson. The $2.4 billion Crown Resorts hotel and apartment development will open more than three months ahead of schedule in December this year, according to billionaire James Packer, who was one of the first to buy in to the complex when he purchased an apartment for $60 million. Apartment prices start at $9.5 million for a two-bedder, with four separate buyers paying $40 million apiece for apartments in the 82-unit complex. At last count $450 million worth of apartments had sold. Acclaimed interior designer Will Meyer, of New York City based Meyer Davis, also travelled to Europe early last year to look at materials such as crystals. “Nearly everything in this building is custom made,” he tells Mansion. “The millwork, furniture, carpets and more.” Sydney Harbour influenced the choice of materials and finishes, colour palettes and lighting, Meyer says. “It’s all inspired by the majesty 26
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of the harbour. With this strong reference to place, the interiors will reach beyond to the exterior, wrapping the property in design elements that speak to the surrounding environment.” Meanwhile, Wilkinson travelled to Europe with Melbourne-based Crown Resorts executive Todd Nisbet and other members of the design team to find even more luxurious materials, such as travertine from Trevi in Italy and crystal lighting from the Czech Republic’s Crystal Valley, outside Prague. High-quality marble was also garnered from Carrara in Tuscany. “We did a trip to Italy in April 2019 and looked at different stones,” says Nisbet. “A lot of the lighting comes from the international glass manufacturer Preciosa in the Crystal Valley” – including a spiralling decorative rod for the atrium staircase. The aim was to end up with a handcrafted, bespoke approach. “With the stone, we picked the A grade natural material and hand selected the stone blocks,” Nisbet says. “We signed off with the designer to establish quality throughout the resort.” Over two weeks the executives hand-selected stone finishes for the entire resort. While much of it came from Italy and Greece, some limestone finishes were bought in Turkey. “We go direct to the quarries,” Nisbet says. However, while some stones may look great they lack the durability needed for apartment or resort living, he adds. “Having worked for decades in the hospitality industry, I have seen where we have made wrong decisions and had to do replacements within 12 months. With the counter tops, we went with the harder materials and natural quartz – you need something that will hold up to the wear and tear of a kitchen. “There are beautiful materials for the island benches, and a grey material out of Greece for the secondary bathrooms. We are trying to pick up a notional reference to the way the water moves.” He says some of the stone materials from Greece are unique. “There are always new materials coming to the fore. We found some really beautiful unique marbles out of Greece, from outside Thessaloniki, near the mountains.” Nisbet stresses that, unlike a lot of developers, he is not using stone-look porcelain. “We have stayed away from ceramic tiles as a point of difference,” he says. “We believe the expectation from this buyer segment is for natural materials and high quality. “Buyers are offered a choice of a light or a dark palette, but the stones and natural materials in both versions don’t really change. “It’s more about the colours of the carpet and some of the cabinetry,” Nisbet says. “Most buyers are veering towards lighter colour schemes, in keeping with the surroundings of the building.” He also oversaw the marble and tapware selections, along with the 71-level tower’s decorative lighting. He says the plumbing fixtures, by Hansgrohe, were custom designed to reflect the petal shape of the structure’s exterior. And in a partnership with acclaimed chef Guillaume Brahimi, Crown Resorts collaborated with Wolf and Sub Zero appliances. “They saw our project as being brand aligned and exactly how they wanted to position those brands in the market,” says Nisbet. “They are chef kitchens that have become showpieces.” THE WEEKEND AUSTRALIAN
| FEBRUARY 8-9, 2020
