Paramount House Hotel by Breathe Architecture

Built on the land of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation

Surry Hills, New South Wales

Jury citation Paramount House Hotel breathes new life into a three-storey 1930s brick warehouse in Sydney’s Surry Hills. As part of the wider hospitality precinct within the historic Paramount Picture Studios headquarters, the project skilfully borrows its neighbour’s established facilities to maximize the hotel offering. Small but generous interventions at the street and in the foyer benefit the broader development.

Twenty-two hotel rooms occupy the original brick structure, while two-level loft rooms crown the top of the building behind a delicate copper veil. A bold yet sensitive addition to the heritage fabric, this chevron screen effectively mediates light to rooms and ensures privacy from neighbouring buildings.

Inside, Paramount House Hotel’s historic fabric is peeled away to reveal traces of time and function. Each room is uniquely characterful, with carefully selected Australian fittings and furnishings. Materials have been sourced locally for their low environmental impact and to complement the original building fabric; together, these qualities create an authentic, comfortable and inviting home away from home.

— Paramount House Hotel was reviewed by Tobias Horrocks in Artichoke 64. See architectureau.com/articles/paramount-house-hotel

Architect Breathe Architecture; Project team Bonnie Herring (project lead), Shannon Furness, Mark Ng, Dan McKenna, Emily McBain, Rob Kolak; Interiors team Bettina Robinson, Lola Digby-Diercks; Project manager Artechne; Structural engineer Bekker Engineers Design Buro; Facade engineer SDA Structures; Building services engineer Lucid Consulting Australia; Fire engineer Holmes Fire; Builder Calida (hotel), Promena Projects (reception lounge); ESD consultant Nick Bishop ESD; Acoustic consultant Renzo Tonin and Associates; Heritage consultant Urbis; Planning consultant Mersonn; Graphics The Company You Keep