It’s a restoration that will stop you in your tracks while simultaneously delighting you. Alice Blackwood explores Albert Park’s newly refurbished Vincent Hotel with CoLAB Design Studio.
September 10th, 2013
The original Albert Park Windsor pub, established in 1889, has recently been resurrected as The Vincent Hotel under the expert hands of Melbourne’s CoLAB Design Studio.
Engaged to transform the pub into a modern version of its original self, CoLAB’s intricately detailed and carefully executed design solutions respond to the history and soul of the building.
“The client wasn’t interested in trends or adhering to the ‘Melbourne style’,” says CoLAB’s Anna Drummond. “Instead they challenged us to evoke the romance, idealism and aspirations of a Victorian era Albert Park.”
A trip back in time, Drummond’s first site meeting revealed a deeply layered building – in fact, “6 layers of wallpaper were peeled off the walls!” she exclaims.
“Amongst some of the intriguing stories we uncovered was the history of a beautiful garden, around which the original hotel (then known as The Windsor) was built,” she says.
With the garden long gone, Drummond and her team conceived an interior which alluded to the fabled gardens, using botanical motifs (inspired by the Victorian fervor for exotic plants and flowers) to create colourful and expressive backdrops to the main bar and bistro.
Constructed from intricately hand-cut mosaic, these colossal murals evoke what Drummond describes as a “decorative renaissance amidst Melbourne’s restrained designer style.”
Rich colour schemes are juxtaposed against refreshing whites, each room carrying its own ‘identity’ colour theme.
“By creating a single, restrained colour palette for the base building architecture, we were able to link a gradation of colours around the venue, all framed by the clean lines of the original architecture,” says Drummond of this particular challenge.
And a nice discovery, she notes, was the use of carpet as a graphic surface. “[It worked to] anchor each room’s colour selections,” she says.
CoLAB Design Studio
The Vincent Hotel
Photography © Shannon McGrath
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Australia’s leading producer of solid-engineered oak flooring has recently launched a new suite of innovative resources to support creativity and ambition in the architecture and design community.
The new terminal interiors at the Hamilton Kirikiriroa Airport celebrate the beauty to be found in transition and a connection to the local identity of New Zealand.
For Living Edge, B-Corp certification was the next appropriate step in a long journey focused on building a truly sustainable and socially responsible business. In 2023 they achieved certification at their first pass, giving customers a new level of environmental assurance and the company an important milestone to celebrate across two decades of staff-led, sector-leading sustainability practices.
Viccarbe’s design furniture concepts draw inspiration from the vibrant spirit of Valencia and have revolutionised interiors across the globe. Featuring celebrated designers such as John Pawson and internationally acclaimed collections, Viccarbe offers a contemporary perspective on modern commercial and residential spaces.
Over 130 Queensland interior designers and architects flocked to one of the legendary Janie Collins Interiors’ parties on Friday 18th May.
Design lovers young and old – mark March 1-10 on your calendars, because the Sydney Design Festival is coming with a wealth of talks, exhibitions and installations exploring the future of design.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Taking place 11-12 October 2023, watch CPD Live’s interesting, relevant and topical panel discussions to earn up to 10 Formal CPD Points.
University of Tasmania’s Sam Hodgens took home The Graduate award at INDE.Awards this year. His winning entry addresses an area that is on everyone’s mind: the environment.
Australian artist Marion Borgelt’s work can be found in some of Australia’s most notable commercial buildings – from 123 Pitt Street, Sydney, to Tower One, Barangaroo and Perth’s Crown Towers. Gillian Serisier steps us through her latest exhibition of work.