The completely refurbished hotel comprises 22 refurbished heritage rooms and 51 new rooms. Rooms share a circulation ‘street’ space woven through and around the heritage building. A three-level glazed conservatory space delineates the original 1897 building fabric and the new boutique rooms. Within, the materiality expressed contrasts the rustic and textural rear of the building with a contemporary internal façade. It includes an extended food and beverage offer, an expanded function and business facility, and a new rooftop bar.

Two scales predominate. Low rise frontages to the streetscapes, and new six-level bookend extensions to both heritage façades. These bookends are visually separated from the adjacent heritage building with a vertical glazed setback slot, allowing views out and expressing the extent of the original building.

The complexities of the development, such as a heritage listing, melding old with the new, creating potential for a second stage office or serviced apartment building, and a very tight construction site led Buchan to be pragmatic and flexible with the design and construction method.

The result is a refurbished boutique hotel that engages with its history and creates a vibrant energy from the contemporary design of new facilities and spaces.