CROWN METROPOL

Crown Metropol has won considerable praise for both its exterior and interior design. One of the greatest achievements is the considerable level of detail throughout, and the exemplary use of materials and finishes, to create intimate scale interiors which embrace the architecture of such a large scale hotel.

IN BRIEF

Impart a youthful and dynamic form. Have the hotel’s design challenge tradition and add a sense of occasion with unorthodox elements, dark, dramatic shapes and earthy, grounded silhouettes inspired by nature.

ARCHITECT’S WORDS

The design of Crown Metropol breaks free from conventional boutique hotel typologies to explore the contemporary definition of an urban retreat. Metropol’s architectonic character is a study in the juxtaposition of fluid sculpted forms and bold pragmatic statements to create a vital, seductive and rich urban experience.

The form of the building combines to create a set of highly visceral spatial encounters, both tactile and ephemeral. Planned in a loose ‘s’ shaped form, the overall height of the building is lowered and allows for a differentiated city skyline outlook.

The cladding strategy seeks to enhance this experience. The façade is rendered by dropped shadows and pockets of reflection found within the twisting polished architectural form. The use of dark coloured delicately trimmed aluminium fins cluster together in a diagonal pattern across the west façade.

This manoeuvre runs in contravention to the room on room tower background to again create a differentiated and unique outlook experience. The fins appear impossibly thin, made more acute through the vivid reflection in the darkened glazed skin of the building.

The individually crafted units emerge in and out of the shadow gap between the glass panels in an exquisitely simple detail. This gesture builds a sense of surprise, dynamic shift and changing appearance when approaching the hotel from different sides and leads to an overall sensuous appearance to the building.

Visitors enter between the existing buildings and the new hotel tower buildings and into Metropol’s Porte Cochere arrival space. This area creates the entry experience for car bound and coach bound passengers into a fluid and theatrical experience.

A dramatic, expansive use of full height steel blades creates a textured screen through which the polished fluid forms of the podium seemingly disappear. The podium areas are planned into a series of stratified bands of program shaped into organic linear spaces.

These culminate around the main spiralling staircase linking the upper and lower levels of the foyer. A sense of movement is experienced throughout, but is most boldly expressed on Clarendon Street.

Here a large pod like form made from a looping strip of curved polished aluminium creates a surprising lower level signature to the complex and a key destination marker to the river corridor gateway beyond.

The unique programme combinations seen within the podium elements continue at the top of the building where a day spa and lap pool are located overlooked by a sky bar and terrace. Panoramic views toward Melbourne’s skyline are experienced from this vantage point.

The Metropol showcases Melbourne from a new, contemporary angle and enables the city to be watched, experienced and ‘read’ within a new urban retreat that signals the hotel as an exciting international destination.

ACCOLADES

• AIA Victoria Awards, Commercial Architecture Award 2011
• Australian Interior Design Awards (AIDA), Award for Hospitality Design 2011
• Belle Coco Republic Interior Design Awards, Best Hospitality Design Interior 2011
• RACV Victorian Tourism Awards, Best Luxury Accommodation Winner 2011
• Conde Nast Traveller Hot 100 List 2011

KEY INFO

COMPLETED
2010

AREA
66,000 sqm