The new Hibernian Place incorporating the five-star Westin hotel along with a thoughtfully curated mix of hospitality operators is the latest ‘urban oasis’ for Perth residents.
Located in the Perth CBD, the Hibernian Place is home to the 368-room Westin Hotel designed by leading architecture firm HASSELL to offer a curated guest experience. Design highlights include massive stone walls, mature trees, inlaid artwork and a cobblestoned driveway among others.
The design is influenced strongly by contemporary Western Australian elements with the connection of indoor and outdoor spaces celebrated in a way that is very familiar to homes throughout Perth.
HASSELL Principal Peter Lee says the design for the hotel was underpinned by a desire to unlock the social, economic, and cultural value of the site through a uniquely Western Australian design. New design elements have been seamlessly integrated with the heritage-listed Hibernian Hall to reinforce The Westin’s strong attitude while simultaneously identifying with the surrounding city.
Three different types of glass used on the façade allow the building to change colour from almost black to golden, depending on the sunlight. While the food and beverage building has been deliberately elongated to activate the west side of the public plaza courtyard and provide a suitable interface with the connecting streets, it also has an articulated horizontal façade designed to complement the architecture of the hotel without losing its unique identity.
Garam, which is designed as a new destination restaurant, is located on the ground floor, and extends within Hibernian Hall, featuring an external connection to and from the plaza courtyard. Soaring trussed timber ceilings and period windows, and broad doorways under the existing high windows, connect the interior to the exterior on either side of the building.
A major highlight of Hibernian Place is an impressive 2000-square-metre central plaza at ground level designed to offer a place as well as opportunity to relax all day and night.
The HASSELL concept for the site’s landscape architecture draws inspiration from the heritage fabric while acknowledging the modern feel of the new development and evolving CBD environment. The landscape design takes a refined, yet sophisticated approach with strong avenues of mature trees, lawns, feature decks and a linear water feature.
HASSELL principal Anthony Brookfield says the development aims to create a green refuge in the heart of Perth’s east end. Visitors can relax on spacious lawns, enjoy a coffee under the canopy trees and take tea in the Westin alfresco deck. The public space also features refined stone and timber seats as well as two large decks complemented by large deciduous trees to provide an extra layer of opportunity for people to sit quietly or converse.
