First look: this Sydney hotel in a former cinema wants to be a blockbuster
A heritage-listed Paddington theatre that once screened silent films has emerged as the city's most dramatic new hotel after a five-year transformation | WATCH VIDEO
If Banksy and Baz Luhrmann collaborated on a hotel, it might resemble this one. Five years in the making, and unspooling in a heritage-listed theatre that once played silent movies, 25hours Hotel The Olympia is ready for its close-up. In filmmaking, a MacGuffin is an object that sets a plot in motion and this lodging is stuffed with them: technicolour artworks, video movies at reception and a trompe-l’oeil vintage ticket booth in the lobby. Clearly, Sydney’s liveliest new hotel, opening Thursday, aspires to be a real blockbuster.
Originally designed by architect John Kirkpatrick, West’s Olympia Theatre arrived in 1911 with an Edwardian façade, seating for 2,500 moviegoers and a ventilation system that was advanced for its day. Subsequent entities, including the Academy Twin Cinema in the 1970s, breathed new life into the space. In the ’90s, the building on Oxford Street in Paddington became known for bacchanalian restaurant The Grand Pacific Blue Room, a locus of late-night revelry.
All of this backstory feeds into the hotel’s eclectic design. In the lobby alone are references to celluloid films, Hollywood history books, furnishings inspired by classic movies, and a nod to the sensual blue of the Blue Room. “The video shop at reception really underscores the concept,” said interior designer Shelley Indyk. “Guests will be able to borrow videos to watch in their rooms on a VHS machine or digitally transferred to their TV.” This will be music to the ears of “tapeheads”, the retro brigade eager to reanimate video stores and viewings.
As with most projects of this scale, especially one where the elaborate efforts at conjuring a vibe run deep, a constellation of creatives weighed in. Tonkin Zulaikha Greer handled the architecture with a view to preserving heritage elements, including windows and exposed brick walls. The guest rooms and common areas were conceived by Indyk, and the trio of hospitality venues on the ground floor were executed by Woods Bagot. Sydney artist Kubi Vasak added kaleidoscopic collage murals to each guest room. A gaggle of graphic designers, art curators, carpet-makers and video directors chimed in, too.
The 109 guest rooms are informed by two cinematic archetypes: Renegade rooms are dark and moody – think Neo in The Matrix meets Katniss Everdeen in The Hunger Games. Meanwhile, Dreamer rooms are airy, romantic and pastel- tinged – imagine the love child of Cher Horowitz and Willy Wonka. Their layouts vary dramatically – one even incorporates a staircase leading to nowhere. Some have windows above Oxford Street, while others gaze into an internal courtyard. Level three accommodations feature small terraces, and level four ones have dormer windows that mimic the sloping mansard roof, now wrapped in copper.
London-based Studio Paskin, the brother-and-sister team of Layo and Zoë Paskin, cooked up the hotel’s culinary offering. Based on their London restaurant of the same name, The Palomar zips from southern Spain to northern Africa cherrypicking tangy flavours. A pink quartzite bar, navy leather accents and dusty-pink upholstery lend the space a swell air. “The restaurant holds onto the DNA of the original – the vibrancy, the warmth, the sense of connection – but it’s not a carbon copy,” said Layo Paskin. The pair collaborated with the hotel’s culinary director Mitch Orr to ensure a faithful local translation.
Adjacent is The Mulwray, a cocktail and wine bar focused on biodynamic drops and decked out with velvet armchairs, Chesterfield sofas and Turkish rugs. “The design has a richness and glamour, with warm textures and nostalgic details, but it still feels inviting and unpretentious,” said Paskin. Both venues open up to a plant-filled atrium for alfresco carousing. Also on this level is a café, Jacob the Angel, with Ona coffee and Lune pastries. Nearby is a private screening room, decked out in burnt-orange upholstery and graphic carpet that recalls The Shining.
But the most spirited spot will undoubtedly be Monica, the jaw-dropping rooftop bar whose views extend from the CBD to the leafy eastern suburbs. Social butterflies and lounge lizards are likely to gravitate here for the gloaming hour. The terrace is equipped with multiple seating options, ample greenery and a fire-pit. Inside, patterned tile floors, muted shades and tropical foliage convey a laid-back SoCal ambience that echoes the Santa Monica Boulevard of its name. DJ sets and live music will soundtrack the roistering and posturing.
The 25hours brand, part of the Ennismore portfolio, was hatched in Hamburg in 2003. Since then it’s expanded with playful, plugged-in and accessible properties in 18 cities from Berlin to Zurich. A core principle is that the hotels should be adopted by locals and the Sydney chapter certainly injects renewed energy to this lacklustre part of Oxford Street. “It’s the missing piece that will give this corner of Paddington the soul it’s been waiting for,” said Tracey Wiles of Woods Bagot. “Creating a neighbourhood living room was at the forefront of its design.” From art house to full house – that could be the tagline for this movie.
Rooms from $400. The Palomar; The Mulwray; Monica; 25hours-hotels.com
This story is from the October issue of Travel + Luxury Magazine.
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