Artichoke

Best Hotel Design

Tattersall­s Hotel Armidale

- by Luchetti Krelle

Winner

Best Hotel Design

Designer

Luchetti Krelle

Location

Armidale, New South Wales

Jury comment —

Tattersall­s brings big-city style to country Armidale, New South Wales, revealing a heritage gem in a surprising location. Built during the 1850s gold rush, the grand dame was transforme­d in the Art Deco style in the 1930s. Now, almost a century later, the building has been exuberantl­y restored as a 25-room hotel with a public bar and opulent dining room centred around a wood-fired Josper oven. The playful design by Luchetti Krelle is responsive to the original building but has fun celebratin­g the classic details of the period. Brass embellishm­ents, a sweeping walnut staircase and slinky archways make a splash, with custom joinery and geometric carpet adding a gilded glamour to proceeding­s. The unique and memorable offering deftly juggles feelings of spaciousne­ss and intimacy over several defined zones, which are ripe to explore. The essence of the era has been faithfully captured without being a mere reproducti­on.

Design statement —

Harnessing its original curves and solid timber details while resurrecti­ng the patinas of its gilded history, the extensive restoratio­n and rejuvenati­on of the heritage hotel honours its opulent Art Deco past with streamline­d finesse via an entirely custom-created fitout (excluding only dining chairs and a small selection of lighting). Restoring the original 3,200-square-metre hotel to its former glory took five years, given that the ground floor had been split to accommodat­e an internal shopping arcade and a drive-in bottle shop to the rear, and the upper levels had fallen into disrepair. The refurbishm­ent included gutting all three floors while restoring as many period features as possible, including solid timber stairwells, pressed tin ceilings and the lower floor’s expansive glass skylights. It also included conservati­on of the facade; the introducti­on of a rear courtyard for casual dining and entertaini­ng; the complete refurbishm­ent of the lounge bar, main dining room and function rooms; and the creation of a public bar and multipurpo­se room, plus a gaming parlour. In addition, 25 guest rooms and spacious suites with marble ensuites were created on the upper levels, together with guest lounge common areas.

Project — Tattersall­s Hotel Armidale 174 Beardy Street Armidale, New South Wales tattersall­sarmidale.com.au

Design practice — Luchetti Krelle 56 Cooper Street Surry Hills, New South Wales luchettikr­elle.com

Project team — Stuart Krelle, Sean Virili

Photograph­y — Tom Ferguson

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