Adelaide’s General Havelock hotel has stood on the corner of Hutt and Carrington streets since 1862. In need of a facelift, the heritage-listed building’s new design needed both to comply with State Heritage requirements and give the old local a contemporary spin.

Milne Architects didn’t need to look far for inspiration. “We uncovered façade cladding in jade green Vitrolite glass and a black terrazzo dado,” says Ken Milne, Principal of Milne Architects.

“These features had been concealed by years of paint and were a rewarding discovery.”

The theme for the building’s new interior became Art Deco with a modern twist, created in collaboration with Hellen from Prana Design Studios.

Viridian Seraphic glass in white and red dominates the main bar.  A newly-installed atrium provides light to the space.

A back-lit aluminium ceiling panel sprinkles a dappled leaf pattern over the wall and columns.

The first floor continues the theme of the ground floor through its creative use of glass, but the feel is notably different.

A black and white bar with a ‘falling leaves’ pattern dominates the first floor, with the leaf motif repeated in the immediate surrounding area. The colour scheme is black, white, chocolate and cobalt blue.

“One of the most successful aspects of the design has been the transformation of the first floor, taking it from a ‘poor cousin’ to a standalone success,” explains Milne.

The new General Havelock has a coherent style that still leaves a lot to be discovered. As Milne notes, “there are lots of little delights throughout the hotel.”

Milne Architects
milnearchitects.com.au

Prana Design + Art Studios
pranastudios.com.au