PROPERTY PROFILE
LIKE A LOCAL BWH HOTELS GROUP RECENTLY INTRODUCED ITS BOUTIQUE HOTEL CONCEPT AIDEN TO SYDNEY’S DARLING HARBOUR, WITH A SMART, CONSIDERED DESIGN AND GUEST EXPERIENCE TAILORED TO THE NEEDS OF TRAVELLERS. OWNER NICOLAS CHEN GAVE RUTH HOGAN AN INSIGHT INTO THE RENOVATION OF THIS ART DECO BUILDING, AND THE LITTLE TOUCHES THAT MAKE THE HOTEL A FAVOURITE WITH LOCALS AND VISITORS ALIKE.
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hen the Chen family purchased 45 Murray Street, Pyrmont back in 2005, it was simply an office block, and remained so for a couple of years before renovations began to turn it into a boutique hotel. But the walls of this art deco building hold a lot of history. Dating back to around 1938, the property was originally built as a cereal and grain store. Back then, Darling Harbour was home to tram and rail yards and was a place where cargo was loaded onto ships. “Pyrmont used to be an industrial yard, a workingclass suburb, and this building was reflective of the industry around it,” Chen explained. Later, during the 60s and 70s, the building served as the headquarters of appliances company Breville, and
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HM The Business of Accommodation
Aiden's red brick exterior and curved corner facade are reminiscent of the 1930s art deco era when the property was built
even during the most recent renovation, traces of the company remained. “When we were breaking down the walls to convert this building to a hotel, we discovered a Breville employee had stuck a calling card on one of the walls from 1979,” Chen said. A love for travel, hotels and the hospitality industry prompted Chen to convert the property into a hotel, but he wanted to do so in a way that preserved the integrity of the building. “We always wanted a classic but contemporary style, bringing it into the modern era but retaining a lot of the design elements that reflect the art deco history of the building,” he said. Today, original art deco elements are still clearly visible in the red brick exterior and curved corner facade, complemented by the addition of many brass elements, studded barstools, rich red marble and bronze-coloured taps.
BY TRAVELLERS FOR TRAVELLERS
Aiden Darling Harbour prides itself on being a hotel designed by travellers for travellers. Over the course of five years, Chen took note of his own accommodation experiences and all the things that he believed could be improved upon. “You know some of those small pet peeves? I had a big list of all the things we wanted and didn’t want in our hotel rooms,” he explained.
