Wakefield Street Hotel

144 Wakefield Street is new hotel proposal, located on a landmark site at the corner of Pulteney Street and Wakefield Street. The site is very compact at just 372m² (30.48m x 12.19m) and enjoys the use of a 3.66m wide right of way to the east. The existing building on the site is a two storey building which has recently been used as backpacker’s accommodation and was a hotel for most of its life. The precinct is undergoing significant transformation with a hospital and office building nearby now complete, adjoining hotel underway and other significant buildings planned nearby. The site is well positioned within the city centre and as history has shown, is ideally located for accommodation and hotel uses.

Our context analysis raised two design concepts which are incorporated into our design. Firstly, we addressed the prevailing height of the adjoining buildings (including the local heritage place of St Stephen’s Church) with a low level building base. Secondly, we addressed the street corner with an angled form to relate to the three buildings which currently address the intersection with chamfered corners.

The design of the building has evolved from our site and context analysis. Key design elements that emerged from that process include creating a building base with a high solid to void ratio to relate to surrounding buildings. Inspiration was taken from the angle of St Stephen’s spires which led to the incorporation of indented angles in the tower on the north and south and angled solid walls on the lower levels.  The building base is a bold and dynamic composition which acknowledges the street intersection and clearly defines the main entry to the hotel. The vertical blades on the east and west facades express the alignment of the guest corridors. The rhythm of the southern facade indents express the alignment of the stacked guestrooms and this grid flows down to the building base where it expresses itself with a different language.  Using the east and west facade composition, we have raised the northern portion of the building to encase the lift overrun and provide screening to rooftop plant. With the inclusion of a golden ‘crown’ on the top floor to define the bar and the introduction of a raised plant screen, the roof form is dynamic and also hints to a skyline transition down from the unlimited height zone.