| Within a tight (14 month) schedule, a declining Perth office block has been transformed by architects Woodhead International into a successful four-star hotel catering to guests doing business. The 16-storey Supply House, built in the 1970s on the corner of Hay and King Streets, was gutted and refurbished to include 243 guest rooms, six suites, a restaurant, a bar, a kitchen and four function rooms. The planning of accommodation was influenced by the existing 3.3 metre structural grid but large lift lobbies have been provided on the upper levels to lend a sense of spacious accommodation. At ground level, the building was extended over the footpaths to establish a dramatic architectural presence on the corner, add space on the first floor, and shelter restaurant patrons dining on the street. Existing double glazing on the windows of upper floors was replaced with single panes of glass with a higher energy rating than the previous system. |
The recycling project as a total scheme responds intelligently to the shell of the former SGIO office building and to its urban context. The external design of the hotel has been handled extremely cleverly, with the entry and corner restaurant becoming visual elements that engage with the street very well. The hotel feels welcoming on arrival and, internally, the public areas function successfully. The spatial organization of lobbies on the accommodation floors is impressive and the individual rooms work well within the module of the existing eleven foot column grid. It is clever, ingenious and outgoing, solving a very difficult corner in a masterly way and sits confidently and comfortably with its 1904 neighbour. From a financial point of view, the project is a clear demonstration of the value added by design, and a fine example of team-building by the architect with other property specialists. | Rydges Perth Hotel, Perth |
