The site The Hougoumont find itself formerly the Duke of York Hotel, designed in 1901, and this sense of heritage has kept through retaining the original façade. The hotel juxtaposes a 112-year-old heritage front with sleek modern hotel rooms. This melding together of ideas is echoed throughout the hotel entirely, with the use of material and architectural detail.

“When possible we have tried to expose the most interesting parts of the original building,” says architect Matthew Crawford “Original timber windows sit behind new steel framed windows, original brickwork complete with load bearing arches are left exposed in the entry lobby contrasting with new marble tiled floors.”

Industrial style finishes and exposed brick sit beside more modern and traditionally luxurious finishes such as polished marble. This melding of styles is repeated throughout the hotel, and recalls the blending of international class and local aesthetics that the design channels.

The team at Matthew Crawford Architects designed the hotel following Alexander Planning Consultants’ design work throughout the developmental approval stages of development. The hotel ultimately features thirty-four rooms, a lobby lounge and small business centre.

In a clever move, the entire hotel features nautical theming throughout. “The name of the hotel sets the theme for the whole hotel. The Hougoumont is the name of the last ship to arrive in Fremantle carrying convicts. This theme pervades the whole hotel from the nautical themed room interiors referencing luxury cabins through to the external facade treatment that references the shipping containers stacked in local Fremantle Port,” says Matthew Crawford.

Matthew Crawford Architects
mcarchitects.com.au