Accom wrap: Billion-dollar builds, major new hotels and historic renos
Multiplex has won the competition to be named main developer for the vast Brisbane waterfront resort at Queen’s Wharf.
The 2.4 billion project will deliver four new hotels operating under The Star, Ritz-Carlton, Dorsett and Rosewood brands, plus more than 50 bars and restaurants, gaming facilities, 2,000 residential apartments and the equivalent of 12 football fields of public space.
It will cover 27.3 hectares, or some 20 percent, of Brisbane’s CBD and incorporate heritage buildings along the Brisbane River,
The Urban Developer reports Multiplex beat out Hutchinson Builders to be awarded the contract for the Star Entertainment Group-led project.
It includes construction of five levels of basement car park, the tower structures, a sky deck and the façade of the main integrated resort, in a deal reportedly worth $1.5 billion.
The Queen’s Wharf project is being developed by the Destination Brisbane Consortium, a joint venture of the Star Entertainment Group, Far East Consortium and Chow Tai Fook Enterprises.
“It’s a massive contract that, in total, will include approximately 370,000sqm of floor area and 105,000sqm of energy-efficient glazed façade,” the consortium’s project director Simon Crooks said.
The first stage of development is touted for a 2022 completion date, with construction works expected to begin on George Street by late next year.
“The next step will be the public confirmation of the contract signing after the state government has completed its review process,” said Crooks.
Shadowy entrance
Accor has opened the doors of its newest luxury Melbourne hotel – Shadow Play by Peppers – in the city’s Southbank.
The 46-storey property features spacious one and two-bedroom apartments with kitchen and laundry facilities and floor-to-ceiling windows offering city or bayside views.
Two-bedroom corner apartment even come with a private outdoor ‘winter garden’.
The hotel encompasses the Edwin Wine Bar & Cellar, a new addition to the Melbourne dining scene boasting a seasonally-curated menu and extensive wine list.
Avant-garde design elements, a pool, gym, sauna and steam room, enclosed garden space, guest lounge and library with an adjoining patio all feature in what is billed as “a stylish urban retreat for leisure and business travellers”.
“Shadow Play by Peppers has added a new level of sophistication and luxury to Melbourne’s accommodation offering, which caters perfectly to an increasingly selective global market that is looking for quality, location and facilities of a world-class calibre,” said Simon McGrath, Accor’s chief operating officer Pacific.
Novo voco
Australia’s second voco hotel has opened following the completion of a refresh and rebrand of an iconic Hunter Valley property.
Voco Kirkton Park Hunter Valley, one of the NSW wine region’s best-known estates, encompasses 70 acres of rolling countryside and its 70-room property now features styling by designer Greg Natale including trademark voco yellow décor accents.
Outside features include a large-scale vegetable garden which “celebrates the connection between farmer, gardener and chef”, with several beehives also onsite.
The paddock to plate dining ethos encompasses Locavore Dining and Epoche Lounge Bar, while high teas are served at The Conservatory overlooking the rose garden.
General manager Penny Crossley said: “The Hunter Valley is renowned for its exceptional food and wine offering, so it is tremendously exciting to introduce voco to the region to enhance our beautiful estate with a new, fresh and fun approach.”
Sustainability is a feature of the voco model. All rooms will be introducing plastic-free bedding with duvets made from recyclable plastics, while large bottle amenities from Australian-owned Aveda have been welcomed to successfully reduce the volume of plastic waste.
Animals farmed on the estate will help ensure almost zero food waste.
But its not all about austerity. Facilities onsite including tennis courts, a billiards room, an indoor pool, sauna, spa and gym.
Fullerton facelift
The Fullerton Hotel, a landmark Victorian-era General Post Office building in the heart of Sydney’s CBD on Martin Place, is undergoing a major clean-up of its facade.
Described by Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore as a Victorian-era “masterpiece” and a 19th-century equal to the Opera House, it boasts a series of ornate carvings by Tomaso Sani commissioned by colonial architect James Barnet.
The work was highly controversial at the time of construction in 1887 for Barnet’s decision to portray ordinary people rather than dignitaries – some carved in considerably risqué poses for the time – on the building’s exterior.
Giovanni Viterale, the Fullerton’s general manager said of the hotel: “It seems that the history of the city and Australia is in this building.”
Once the remediation work is complete, guests will be able to enjoy heritage walking tours that reveal the building’s origins and its connection to the history and culture of the surrounding area.
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