Hotel Hotel is located in NewAction, a diverse new precinct in Canberra, and is part of a wider scheme that encompasses offices, residential apartments, cafes and a cinema.

The project’s signature feature is a fragmented lobby entrance where a series of ‘fractured’ timber pieces line the walls and furniture to create a dynamic tunnelling effect that leads guests from the reception through to the main areas of the hotel. The repurposing of the timber in the lobby grabbed the judges’ attention for what they described as a “poetic use of leftover materials [to create a] powerful but not overwhelming” result.

Positioned at the centre of the hotel is a grand staircase that leads to two floors of guest rooms. There is also a bar on the ground floor with openings punched through the concrete walls to offer views of the central courtyard.

Overall, the judges have praised the project for its “masterful integration of different spaces into a seamless and delightful interior.”