Great Escape

Those halcyon days of luxury travel feel a little out of reach for the common Australian. However, the power of design to deliver experiences that are imaginative and evocative of our deepest yearnings continues to prevail. And where better than the iconic skyline-defining Sydney Tower?

The glamorously refurbished destination unveiled three new hospitality venues in 2020: the atmospheric Bar 83 (pictured); Infinity, a classic fine dining restaurant; and SkyFeast, a casual buffet-style eatery. Each distinctive, immersive offering spans a full circular floor, artfully created by Sydneybased studio, Loopcreative.

“Our aim was for the design to really tell a story; to speak to both locals and visitors from abroad,” says Rod Fauxcheux, director at Loopcreative. “So we looked for ways to weave recognisably Australian elements into these spaces.”

Built in the early 1970s, the tower harkens back to a golden age of luxury travel. The bold swagger of this era is most exuberantly interpreted at Bar 83, the retro-futurist cocktail lounge at the building’s vertiginous peak.

Naturally, a complete interior overhaul of the southern hemisphere’s tallest observation tower was no mean feat: its unique cylindrical form presented a raft of design challenges. Every single component – furniture, finishes, fixtures and major joinery – needed to fit the building’s restrictive triangular lifts, or be made modular for on-site assembly.

Australian designer Ross Didier rarely accepts custom commissions. But intrigued by complexity, creative simpatico and a shared nostalgia for the vivacity of bygone eras, Didier collaborated with Loopcreative to develop custom-shaped deluxe Puffalo lounging upholstered in gold, as well as bespoke Puffalo sofas to form cosy conversation pits.

Meanwhile at SkyFeast on the second floor, an evocative material palette makes imaginative use of utilitarian masonry features. Pebblecrete – the tactile, knobbly surface of backyard pools – lines walls in the foyer, while hand-formed terracotta tiles clad the curved central wall in the warm earthy textures of suburban rooftops. Photo: Robert Walsh.