We were impressed by the modernist architectural design planned for the new hotel itself. We were inspired by the Edwardian and Gothic gems of Dunedin's 1860's golden era, in particular the bold stone construction banding of black and white contrasting stonework juxtaposed against the weathered copper 'verdigris' roofscapes. The spontaneous sighting of graphic wall murals gave us the confidence that Dunedin city celebrated modern art and creativity. Dunedin's strong history of fashion design and literary achievement all added to our understanding of this confident little city. And the clarity of light on the landscape was enthralling.
The lessons learnt from our research and the initial site visit gave us design direction with our choice of materials finishes and textures. The fit-out is contemporary, with clean design lines and good quality material finishes. We have created a strong black and white contrasting palette for the level 2 and level 3 guestrooms, softened by a soft blue-green, reminiscent of the Verdigris copper rooves and detailing of the heritage buildings, and oak timbers for joinery. Level 4 shows a more luxurious approach with richer fabrics, brass detailing with darker timber finishes, and stand-alone baths in every room. Indyk Architects have designed unique wardrobe bedheads, shelf units supporting minibar display units and independent wardrobes-all working within a matrix of materials and textures. This level of detailing continues into bathrooms where sliding systems allow for a continuity of space between bedroom and bathroom--if so desired. We knew that NZ had a competent craftsman tradition, and so it was decided that the entire joinery fitout of the hotel was locally manufactured.
Carpets have also been uniquely designed for this project by Indyk. The Reception and Café spaces were considered by us, as partner glass rooms within the Entry Atrium garden . We decided to highlight and reinforce that connection. Stone chosen for reception table and Cafe counter was dramatically green, reminiscent of the pastures and hills of the south island landscape. The Reception was interpreted as the public Entry Lounge, vestibule to the garden and hotel rooms beyond. We designed a large rug for the reception floor, partly inspired by Rosalie Gascoigne, a NZ Australian sculptor. The rug creates a plain of varied deep rich greens with lines of black and cyclamen colour suggesting abstracted shapes. On this rug are the specific loose furniture items selected, in deep green velvets and contrasting black and white, and cyclamen pink forms. The built in joinery both delights and serves the space, offering display and storage. There is no formal reception desk but rather a few open large meeting tables.
As architects, we appreciated and respected the structure and forms of the modernist build we were to work within, and as Interior designers we sought to reinterpret and bring a new level of detailing, surprise and colour to the interiors within, mindful of creating a consistent beautiful experience.