Tonkin Zulaikha Greer has redesigned Surry Hill’s historic Henderson Hat manufacturing warehouse to become a modern hotel, titled ‘The Hat Hotel’.
The hotel, to incite connectivity and reactivity in the surrounding public domain, will retain and restore all existing masonry walls, timber posts and beams, and timber floor structures whilst also reaching higher – adding two levels to the six-story factory building which was erected in 1912.
Further adding a through-site link connecting Randle Lane and Randle Street, Surry Hills is rapidly transforming, the precinct seeing an uptick in developments applications in 2019.
On 13 Randle Street, the heritage-listed factory will offer two new infill buildings at 7-9 Randle Street and 15 Randle Street. The two new add-ons will retain the authenticity of the masonry facades.
With noise and privacy at the forefront of the hotel’s design considering its bustling community, the guests are protected by window location, furniture layout and room orientation, with the hotel’s exposed face having a cladded screen.
“In contemplating a hotel at the periphery of Sydney’s bustling Central Station, an understanding of the complex workings and interfaces of Central Station is essential,” According to a statement by Tonkin Zulaikha Greer.
“Once the Metro is completed there will be a dramatic increase in the number of pedestrians accessing the new Metro Station Portal on Chambers Street via Randle Lane, adjacent to the new hotel.”
“The intensity of this anticipated pedestrian activity presents both opportunities and constraints and has been integral to the conceptual design of the new hotel.”
The hotel includes 770 square meters of commercial space and 123 hotel rooms and has an estimated cost of $40 million.
