4 minute read
DESIGN AND BUILD
Jewel of the Riverina
A major renovation of Griffith’s Gem Hotel has transformed it into a sophisticated multi-purpose venue for the thriving NSW wine region.
THE GEM Hotel in the NSW Riverina has undergone a major renovation to reinvent itself as a venue fit for the beverage industry heavy-hitters and the workers who live in and visit the busy wine region.
The bar and restaurant areas take strong cues from the 1950s.
Located in Griffith, it is surrounded by a thriving major Australian wine production area with a large population of people flying in and out. Owner Jim Knox, an established hotelier in the town, felt there was a lack of quality accommodation and dining options in town when it came to servicing these visitors and locals alike.
Knox briefed specialist hospitality design company, Paul Kelly Design, to help him create a hotel offer beyond anything else available for hundreds of kilometres, a place where locals would gather and major business deals would be struck.
“The brief was to create a truly unique venue that could stand on own feet as a quality food and beverage venue with accommodation and gaming,” says designer Paul Kelly. “Because of the level of investment in this project, it would hard for anyone else in the region to get close to what we’ve achieved at The Gem.”
Subtle nuances of the late 1950s are used to soften some of the hard-edge forms.
The Gem was built in the 1980s and the refurbishment kicked off four years ago, although the project was delayed a year when it encountered delays from local contractors, and then Covid. The project, finally completed in May this year, has delivered a quality venue with design elements that embrace the rich history and culture of the region.
“Griffith has a thriving Italian community, and we thought it appropriate to focus on this culture and explore the interesting design principles they once used,” Kelly says.
“Traditional decorative details have been combined with contemporary elements and applications to allow both to coexist and create a unique experience.”
BACK TO THE ‘50S
The base build architecture of the upgrade was derived from strong underlying principles of mid-century design, with subtle nuances of the late 1950s to soften some of the hard-edge forms.
“The simplicity that is evident in mid-century design allows the existing and new elements of the build to coexist with very little contrast between the two,” Kelly says.
The Gem has an eclectic mix of styles, while still being identifiable as a quality venue.
Griffith has a significant population of people employed in farming, production, manufacture, and distribution – a demographic living away from home with disposable income, so an important part of the rebuild included a gaming room to appeal to this group.
The interiors for the gaming room were retained and further enhanced the mid-century design principles, according to Kelly, with the introduction of typical details like breeze blocks and vertical shiplap timber boards.
“The Gaming Room is a dynamic space that allows for two additional uses, being a beverage focused bar and sports entertainment space.
“From the outset, the intention was to provide a lighter, brighter space, that used a blend and balance of darker tones and gold reflective materials to ensure the space provided a casino-like experience.”
A key element of the rebuild was the gaming room.
In a nod to Covid, some of the spacing of the machines was modified, with the size of the gaming machine bases increased to allow more distance between patrons.
CONNECTING IN STYLE
The main bar and restaurant were designed to complement each other, but are separated by a glazed timber shopfront.
“This provides separation between the two uses, however, being largely glazed, it still maintains a strong connection,” Kelly says. “The interior concept for these areas take stronger cues from the 1950s as it was important to achieve a strong personality.
“The combination of old and new elements works into the simplistic base build with very little contrast and means we flow throughout the venue with little interruption.”
The main bar and restaurant are separated by a glazed timber shopfront.
The entry point for the hotel accommodation continues the base build ambition of a mid-century design aesthetic, Kelly says, with the use of full-height timber panelling, warm but subtle tones, and a refined level of detail throughout.
“Evident on the ground floor are the beginnings of the upper-level accommodation experience, which introduces a reinterpreted geometric pattern and allowing the introduction of subtle colour variation and unique pattern.
“In the lobby, you’ll find sheer curtains and pictures of underworld locals driving past in old Valiants in a nod to the history of Griffith. There’s a little bit of Hollywood and a little bit of gangster there.”
Custom artworks throughout the ground floor and upper-level room accommodation were developed by Esem Projects, a design firm that specialises in experiential design and storytelling programs for shared spaces.
While the Gem Hotel’s design started out as a business solution to look after business customers, because of the wide diversity of ethnic and age groups in town, Kelly says he realised it needed something for everyone, so the venue draws on lots of different styles, including mid-century touches, conservative design angles, and youthful colour tones and curves.
“It’s a really nice eclectic mix of styles, while still being quite easily identifiable as a quality venue.”
HISTORY IN THE MAKING: Custom artworks throughout the ground floor and upper-level room accommodation at the Gem Hotel were developed by Esem Projects, which specialises in experiential design and storytelling. In developing these artworks, Esem Projects researched historical images of the region, including native plants and endangered animals, and the agriculture of the region, and this research formed the basis of the images. The resulting artworks are collaged digital paintings, created through the reinterpretation of existing photographs and scientific illustrations from collections including the State Library of NSW. Water is a major focus of the project and is represented through the colour blue, the construction of the irrigation canals, and the crop and animals that depend on it. Although the artworks focus on development since irrigation, it is important to note that Griffith is located in the heart of the Wiradjuri Nation. The ancient custodianship and ownership of the land by the Wiradjuri people is acknowledged through the inclusion of images sourced from the State Library collection, showing traditional tree carving, and early Wiradjuri/English dictionary pages showing the ancient names for the land and the English translation of these words. The artworks fall into three main themes – agriculture, nature and history/industry, and the images are made from mostly historical sources, both photographic and illustrative, and include a large research component. Water plays a key role in most of these images, either as a photographic element, or represented through a blue graphic shape. Gold is another key element, representing the riches of the land following the irrigation works.
