4 MAZE RESTAURANT DINING AREA WITH OVERSIZED LIGHTS AND A WALL RELIEF IN BIRCH BRANCHES BY ARTIST DAVID BAND OF MAHON & BAND. 5_ THE ENTRY TO THE MAZE RESTAURANT AND GRILL WITH BREAKFAST BAR THAT CONVERTS TO A DRINKS BAR AT NIGHT. 6 LIFT LOBBY TO LEVEL 28 CLUB WITH SIGNAGE BY FABIO ONGARATO AND A NEON PRINT BY ARTIST CHAN YU. 7_ AT "THE APARTMENT" ON LEVEL 25. A FUR RUG ON A CHAIR AT THE ENTRY INSTANTLY SPELLS LUXURY.
8_ THE LEVEL 28 CLUB HAS SEVERAL CASUAL SEATING AREAS SPLIT BY AN UNDULATING SCREEN. 9_ THE POOL WITH OVERSIZED PENDANT LIGHTS POSITIONED OVER THE DECK CHAIRS LIKE OUTDOOR UMBRELLAS. 10_ THE BEDROOM OF "THE APARTMENT" ON LEVEL 25. WHERE A HAND-COLOURED ILLUSTRATION HANGS OVER THE WARDROBE DOOR. 11_ HOTEL BEDROOMS ARE MOODY AND CONTEMPORARY WITH INDIVIDUALLY SELECTED TOUCHES.
Handcrafted and custom-designed elements are also present in the 658 guestrooms, studios and lofts that are cont emporary in their feel. Hand-painted artworks by David Band in collaborat ion with Fraser Taylor give these rooms a sense of individuality in what could have ended up being a cookie-cutter approach. In "The Apartmen~" on level 25, each piece has been carefully selected and many specifically designed for the space. As you enter, a fur rug immediately gives a sense of style and luxury. Bookcases with hard-bound books and objets d'art, and a wall full of framed artworks give the space a contemporary, chic and personal feel. "The approach we took was to treat it as if you landed in New York or London or Paris and your best f riend said, 'Here are the keys to my personal apartment,' rather than checking into a hotel,'' explains Copolov. On level 27, the pool and spa extend this sense of luxury. The pool is situated in a glass box. its eightmetre ceiling height giving a sense of monumental space while glass windows let in the sunlight from three directions in the daytime and the twinkling lights of the city at night. The space is divided into two - the twenty-five-metre pool on one side, and the hot plunge pool and deck on the other, where old-fashioned coloured deckchairs bring in a sense of quaint seaside holidays. Overhead, six huge custom-designed feature lights hang, glowing through an opaque fabric skin, the shape inspired by a traditional Japanese shade. "I wanted this to feet like an outdoor space," Coptov says. "If you were outdoors, above the lounges
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you would put an umbrella. Well you're not going to have an umbrella inside, so the lights became the umbrella, at t he same t ime acting as a beacon from the exterior." The lsika day spa can be reached via the pool deck or from the dedicated spa accommodation on level 26. With moody lighting and a materials palette including timber, soft linen curtains and large-scale photographic wallpapers, this is a serene environment, with sculptural pieces by Australian artists Pamela See, Marion Borgelt and Kate Hendry lining the walls. Two floors above on level 28 is an exclusive club, access to which is reserved for only some guests. Called Level 28, the club logo has been designed by Fabio Ongarato, act ualized in a bespoke sculptural sign made of timber and standing alongside a neon artwork by Chan Yu.lnside the club, the ribbon theme conlinues in the form of a screen of metallic blades that weaves through the space, creating intimate seating areas and separating public from staff areas. Spectacu lar views abound from this, t he top floor of the building. It is difficult to describe how big this project really is, but perhaps some statistics will help. At $300 million and 658 rooms, the project took a relatively short three years. Architecturally, there were twenty-six architect s and designers who worked on the project - three of whom spent six months just checking rooms for defects. Each check took two hours and each room was checked twice. Considering how complicated the functional brief of a project like this is, Bates Smart's achievement in creating a sexy, boutique look and feel is impressive. In large part, this is thanks to a team who individually selected so much of the accessories. artworks and other pieces specifically for each space. It is also thanks to a willingness to design custom pieces for the hotel and to commission works by local and international craftspeople and artists. The use of oversized indoor lighting plays a part too, acting as a beacon to the outside to tie the hotel into the Crown family. And the continuation of a weaving. ribbon-like shape throughout the architecture, coupled with the S shape of the building, means this is a project that is not straight in any sense of the word. A
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