In collaboration with Cottee Parker, MIKA Studios worked on a concept proposal for the Dorsett Hotel. The hotel building, once the site housing ‘The Age’ newspaper, was a part of the large residential, retail and hotel development complex comprised of four towers in Melbourne’s Central Business District – West Side Place.
Public areas to be addressed included the ground floor lobby, café, lobby bar, lounge and reception. In establishing the lobby area as a central hub of activity and interaction, the site’s landscape (designed by Rush Wright Associates) was fed into the interior, referencing the sinuous trails of surrounding laneways. These forms of weaving paths and winding curves brought about the motif of the ‘ribbon’, a gesture applied in designing the joinery, lighting, furniture and floor finishes.
Material choice throughout the design paid homage to the building’s historic context as the former site of the ‘The Age’ newspaper, by contrasting the sculptural metal printing presses and cool concrete interior against the vibrant colours of printing machinery.
Dorsett Hotel Competition
Location: Melbourne
Client: Far East Consortium
Collaboration: Cottee Parker
Completion Date: June 2016
