Winner Best Hotel Design

Designer Richards and Spence

Location Fortitude Valley, Queensland

The Calile Hotel in Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley is a prime example of a large budget put to fantastic use. The design works to conjure an impressive sense of luxe escapism, creating a resort atmosphere despite its intensely urban location. Every space is well considered, both materially and functionally, allowing an effortless flow between public, semi-private and private spaces. Its white brick, stone and expressed concrete structure and restrained colour palette are so unique and striking that it already has a sense of the iconic. The hotel is inviting to the public while maintaining the required sense of exclusivity for registered guests, adding remarkable value to the broader neighbourhood and city. The attention to even the smallest detail – particularly on such a large and ambitious project – is wildly impressive. The jury believes it is this detail-oriented thinking, along with The Calile’s memorable aesthetic, that makes this an internationally significant project.

The Calile Hotel is a prime example of mixed use. With a ground floor area of 10,715 square metres, it incorporates a 175-roomed hotel, retail, hospitality and function facilities, and associated car-parking and service amenities. Planning has been critical to the hotel’s success, with service lifts, a maids’ room, storage, administration and dock facilities located for maximum efficiency and minimum impact on guests. The passive design takes best advantage of the Queensland weather. The journey from lobby to pool cabana is a continuous outdoor experience. A podium-level pool terrace transports guests to holiday mode. Hotel corridors ventilated with ceiling fans via customised breeze block screens continue the outdoor experience naturally. Significant planting extends across the project as a verdant overlay linking streets to rooms. The Calile Hotel reflects a strong relationship between client, operator and architect to realise a long-term ambition.