A contemporary boutique hotel, echoing an industrial past.
Opportunities to design new buildings in the centre of Launceston are rare. The challenge to build a commercial property, in heritage context and on an unusual parcel of land, even more so. Hotel Verge has 86 rooms, meeting spaces for up to 100 people, a gym, laundry and an in-house restaurant. Our design is a nod to the city’s industrial heritage as well as the hotel's Tasmanian roots.
CLIENT
Stay Tasmania
IMAGES
Anjie Blair
LAND OF
Stoney Creek Nation
COLLABORATORS
Fairbrother
Chloe Lynn
Green Building Surveying
JMG Engineers
Milan Prodanovic
AWARDS
A careful choice of bricks allows Hotel Verge to effortlessly assimilate with its surroundings. The bricks are locally sourced from Daniel Robertson at the Longford Brickwords plant - the only carbon-neutral brick factory in Australia, running off sawdust. To accurately complement Launceston’s heritage context, we wandered around the city centre and picked an assortment of brick colours to be matched in the blend.
Local materials, Launceston tones.
An addition to the local narrative.
To create a commercially viable design, we first analysed the human experience within the space - how guests would feel and interact - and undertook strategic research into how hotels can run most profitably. We trust that Hotel Verge and its balanced design will prove to be an asset to Launceston’s heritage.
To suit the heritage context, we deliberately wanted Hotel Verge to sit neatly in the Launceston skyline. We designed a double-height window and facade treatment to help the building feel lower than it is. We then used drones to map the views from each floor, so that each room would make the most of both natural light and views.
The front of the building responds to the changing sun, with each face reading differently depending on the time of day. The facade, slightly staggered, creates an interesting banding of shadows. Raw interiors and Tasmanian-made beds nod to Launceston’s past.
Subtly stripped back.
