{"id":198464,"date":"2022-07-06T10:11:34","date_gmt":"2022-07-06T14:11:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/?post_type=id_project&p=198464"},"modified":"2022-10-25T15:14:05","modified_gmt":"2022-10-25T19:14:05","slug":"flack-studio-designs-the-ace-hotel-sydney","status":"publish","type":"id_project","link":"https:\/\/interiordesign.net\/projects\/flack-studio-designs-the-ace-hotel-sydney\/","title":{"rendered":"For the Ace Hotel Sydney, Flack Studio Creates an Authentic Australian Experience"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\n
\"At
The reception desk is a James Lemon installation of polychrome ceramic bricks\u2014a nod to the neighborhood\u2019s history of pottery production\u2014backed by a Jason Phu wall hanging. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n

July 6, 2022<\/p>\n\n\n

Words: <\/span>Michael Lassell<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Photography: <\/span>Anson Smart<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

For the Ace Hotel Sydney, Flack Studio Creates an Authentic Australian Experience<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

Founded in 1999, the Ace Hotel Group has claimed an enviable slice of the hospitality pie with a chain of high-profile luxury boutique properties aimed at a creative clientele. Since opening its first location\u2014a renovated former Salvation Army halfway house in Seattle\u2014the brand has specialized in transforming rescued buildings of some urban significance into state-of-the-art facilities. The group currently comprises nine hotels, including the latest, which opened in May in Sydney.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The interior of the new property was designed by Flack Studio<\/a>, a small firm based in Melbourne, best known for residential and retail spaces. Surprisingly, the studio had never worked on a hotel before. \u201cThe scale of the job was more than we were used to,\u201d founder and principal David Flack acknowledges. \u201cBut I was confident that we could do it. There aren\u2019t many hotel companies that I would want to work for, but Ace is clearly one of them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Flack joined the renovation project early on. Bates Smart, one of Australia\u2019s oldest architectural firms, was responsible for gutting the Tyne Building, a 10-story brick structure dating to the early 20th century in the city\u2019s Surry Hills suburb. The architects incorporated the exterior masonry walls into an 18-story, glass-and-steel tower that now houses 257 guest rooms and suites, but \u201cthere really wasn\u2019t anything much to salvage of the interior,\u201d Flack observes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Commissioned
Commissioned artworks by Julia Gutman (left) and Joanna Lamb (back) enliven a pre-event space accessed by a honed Rosso Francia marble staircase.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Although the Tyne was not officially landmarked, the designer wanted to pay homage not only to the building but also the fascinating history of the neighborhood where, in 1788, the recently arrived British discovered a deposit of pottery clay and built Australia\u2019s first kiln. Within 40 years, Jonathan Leak, a transported convict, established his own pottery works there and was soon cranking out bricks, tiles, bottles, and domestic earthenware. In 1916, Leak\u2019s factory was razed to be replaced by the Tyne Building\u2014originally a pharmaceutical warehouse, later a garment workshop, and then a school for underprivileged kids. Over the years, Surry Hills was home to Chinese immigrants in the gold rush era, dangerous razor gangs in the 1920\u2019s, bootleggers in the \u201930\u2019s, boho artists in the \u201960\u2019s, and a burgeoning LGBTQ population in the \u201970\u2019s, who established the renowned annual Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras. Flack wanted to reference all of it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early on, he decided that he would stick to straightforward industrial materials used in both traditional and innovative ways. These include the existing brick, along with board-formed concrete, terrazzo and oak flooring, solid woods and veneers, and a variety of metals. There is also stone, such as honed Rosso Francia marble from Italy for the main staircase. Acoustic ceiling panels are used to line guest-room walls\u2014not so much for soundproofing purposes (even though rooms are equipped with turntables, a selection of vinyl records, and, yes, guitars) as for aesthetic reasons: \u201cIt\u2019s a rudimentary material, not fancy,\u201d Flack explains, \u201cbut it has a beautiful depth and texture to it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for the color palette, Flack chose a singular combination of earthy tans and ochres, burnt oranges, a variety of greens, and, most surprisingly, purple. The inspiration came from the landscape paintings of Albert Namatjira, one of the country\u2019s best-known 20th-century artists of indigenous ancestry. Both Flack and Mark Robinson, his partner in work and life, collect modern art, which plays a large part in the design. Commissioned pieces in many forms by a diverse group of living Australian artists populate the property. The front desk, for example, comprises a multihued patchwork of variously sized ceramic bricks\u2014a gobsmacking installation by James Lemon. \u201cI\u2019m not afraid of using color,\u201d Flack happily concedes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Applied
Applied to a guest room\u2019s walls, acoustic ceiling panels form a kind of tall dado that, despite in-room guitars and stereo equipment, is more about aesthetics than soundproofing. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The furnishings are a mix of vintage pieces\u2014both anonymous and pedigreed\u2014and custom designs. The lobby lounge features Paul Frankl\u2013style mid-century rattan swivel chairs surrounded by bespoke banquettes upholstered in heavily ruched leather. \u201cI do that with leather a lot,\u201d the designer notes. \u201cI think it makes the seating look more inviting.\u201d The lobby restaurant booths, upholstered in similar fashion, are joined by Mart Stam\u2019s classic 1931 tubular-steel chairs, now manufactured by Thonet, their cantilever frames painted fire-engine red. Guest rooms and suites are equally eclectic, with Mario Bellini\u2019s iconic 1977 leather Cab chairs pulling up to Charles and Ray Eames\u2019s round oak-top tables in some of them. Most of the hotel\u2019s striking light fixtures, which include columnlike sconces of aged-finish perforated brass, are custom Flack designs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Staying \u201con brand\u201d was a top concern for Flack. \u201cAce had rules,\u201d he reports. \u201cBut they also allowed that rules were made to be broken.\u201d He eventually determined that the chain\u2019s trademark was not so much a look as a feeling. \u201cAn Ace hotel wants to engage people on an aesthetic and social level, to encourage them to congregate and interact with others, both guests and locals,\u201d he concludes. \u201cI wanted this hotel to be an authentic Australian experience without losing the slightly renegade history of the neighborhood. In my view, Australia\u2019s greatest strength is our diversity.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Vintage
Vintage rattan armchairs join custom banquettes upholstered with ruched leather in the sunken lobby lounge where flooring is custom terrazzo tile and brickwork is original to the 1916 building. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"One
One wall in a meeting room is texturized with cement render, a finish used in many parts of the hotel. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"In
In the lobby restaurant, perforated panels of blackbutt, a kind of eucalyptus, clad the ceiling, herringbone-pattern oak boards cover the floor, and Mart Stam tubular-steel chairs mix with custom booth seating and tables. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"Original
Original brickwork and board-formed concrete frame a view of the lobby library featuring an artwork by Nadia Hern\u00e1ndez and shelves backed with rattan wallcovering.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"In
In the living room, a Charles and Ray Eames table and Mario Bellini chairs stand under a triangular artwork by Sydney Ball.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"A
A custom solid-oak stool joins the freestanding tub in a terrazzo-floored guest bathroom.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"Most
Most of the room\u2019s other furniture is custom, including the armchairs and built-in sofa, which are overlooked by a finger-painted acrylic on mirror by Michael Lindeman.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Honed
Honed Arabescato Corchia marble forms a plinth and backdrop for a suite bath\u00adroom\u2019s custom vanity and mirror.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"At
The reception desk is a James Lemon installation of polychrome ceramic bricks\u2014a nod to the neighborhood\u2019s history of pottery production\u2014backed by a Jason Phu wall hanging. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"David
David Rowland\u2019s archetypal 1964 stacking chairs, never out of production, outfit a conference room where blackbutt panels line the rear wall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"In
In another guest room, custom wool blankets and vibrant carpeting offset custom oak millwork.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"Terra-cotta
Terra-cotta floor tiles are complemented by a custom vanity of oak and honed Italian marble in another bathroom. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
PROJECT TEAM<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
Flack Studio<\/span><\/a>: Mark Robinson<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
bates smart<\/span><\/a>: architect of record<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
plant charmer<\/span><\/a>: landscaping consultants<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
studio ongarato<\/span><\/a>: custom graphics<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
electrolight<\/span><\/a>: lighting consultant<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
marques interiors<\/span><\/a>: custom furniture workshop<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
signorino<\/span><\/a>: stonework<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
PRODUCT SOURCES<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
FROM FRONT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
corsi & nicolai<\/span><\/a>: flooring (reception)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
akari<\/span><\/a>: lamp (reception), pendant fixtures (lounge, restaurant)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
alustain<\/span><\/a>: stair railings (reception, pre-event)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
rms traders<\/span><\/a>: wallcovering (reception, library)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
dcw editions<\/span><\/a>: sconce (lounge)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
flos<\/span><\/a>: ceiling fixtures<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
nsw leather co.<\/span><\/a>: banquette upholstery<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
through casser maison<\/span><\/a>: armchairs (pre-event)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
ramler<\/span><\/a>: table (meeting room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
westbury textiles<\/span><\/a>: curtain fabric (meeting room, restaurant)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
living edge<\/span><\/a>: side chairs (meeting room, conference room)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
thonet<\/span><\/a>: chairs (restaurant)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
woodstock resources<\/span><\/a>: flooring (restaurant, library)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
house of bamboo<\/span><\/a>: wallcovering (library)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
warwick textiles<\/span><\/a>: curtain fabric (guest rooms)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
stansborough<\/span><\/a>: custom blankets<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
parisi<\/span><\/a>: tubs, tub fittings (bathrooms)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
reece<\/span><\/a>: sinks<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
mark tuckey<\/span><\/a>: custom stools<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
artedomus<\/span><\/a>: terra-cotta floor tile (bathroom)<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
THROUGHOUT<\/h6><\/div>\n\n\n\n
electrolight<\/span><\/a>: custom lighting<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
halcyon lake<\/span><\/a>: carpeting<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
terrazzo australian marble<\/span><\/a>: floor tile<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
classic ceramics; tiento<\/span><\/a>: bathroom wall tile<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
knauf<\/span><\/a>: acoustic paneling<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
bishop master finishes<\/span><\/a>: cement render<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
Kvadrat Maharam<\/span><\/a>: upholstery fabric<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
instyle<\/span><\/a>: upholstery leather<\/span><\/section>\n\n\n\n
dulux<\/span><\/a>: paint<\/span><\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n