What is to be Australia’s narrowest tower, the Pencil Tower Hotel, is still on track for its scheduled completion in 2023.
The winning design by Durbach Block Jaggers has a street frontage of a staggering six metres, and is likened to a stack of terrace houses built on top of one another. The 32-story tower references the delicacy and detail of the surrounding architecture, with grand, arching brickwork to be a telling feature of the facade.
The future Haymarket hotel features a three-storey urban room, which houses the lobby, a cafe and lounge. The room is viewed via a large-scale keyhole window, with occupants able to overlook the street from a walled courtyard garden.
Durbach Block Jaggers Director, David Jaggers, says no amendments have been made to the tower since the exhibition for the tower closed in February 2021.
“On winning the competition, the project was developed and lodged for Development Application. Approval was obtained in August last year. The design as approved is in keeping with the competition winning scheme,” jhe says.
“The project is now in the design development stage with the aim of obtaining a construction company in the first half of 2022. Completion in 2023 is still achievable on the current program.”
The tower is devised as a slender column, with a clear base, shaft and capital. The facade begins with compressed horizontal screening, slowly transforming into exaggerated verticals at the top. Horizontals begin wide and flush with the outside frame, slowly thinning and receding at the height of the tower. Each horizontal is at the height of the slab, handrail and door head height.
The tower’s capital is likened to a flying balcony and shell curves of a rooftop sundeck, pool and hammam spa. The curved ceiling, brightly tiled, can be seen at street level.
Each floor features hotel rooms approximately 13sqm inside. The rooms gain natural light from the street, rear court or internal shapely voids, which reflect light and colour into the rooms. Keyhole windows provide a framed vignette of the seamless tiled surface.
Image: Supplied
