Castle Hill RSL
77 Castle St
Castle Hill NSW 2154
02 8858 4800
www.castlehillrsl.com.au

Castle Hill RSL’s master plan Stage 3 development incorporating $13.5 to $14 million in developments is being constructed by Paynter Dixon, an experienced leader in the design and construction of hospitality refurbishments and extensions. The development consolidates the daily trading operations between two main floors with:

-a new purpose built TAB
-comfortable lounge areas including an open fire place
-increased bar facilities
-extensive outdoor courtyard /terrace areas
-an intimate and contemporary cocktail lounge and
-enhanced theming for the very successful Rib Factory Restaurant.

The project enhances the existing facilities addressing a number of ergonomic and operational issues allowing all areas to operate with a primary purpose with a design tailored to the specific function of the space.

Each component of the new stage has unsurpassed quality in design innovation and contemporary finish. An overwhelming attention to detail sees guests feel the experience as they pass through comfortable lounge spaces, engaging outdoor terraces and sensory well functioning spaces. The overall designs have a plush and vibrant approach with an overall emphasis on lighting and decor to compliment each of the spaces. The design detail also incorporates designer carpets, modern timbers, stone textures, natural tones and botanical prints. The development also has a strong Eastern aspect that creates an indoor/outdoor vista for the development.

Additionally the overall access has been improved with a lift and escalator for all levels of the Club catering for the specific needs of the community.

The Level 1 Bar & Lounge has recently opened to much acclaim.

LIGHTING - Haron Robson Lightmatters
The design brief for Castle Hill Stage 3 Extensions was to provide a warm and inviting integrated space to suit the needs of not only the Club members, but the surrounding community of all ages and demographic. With such an all-encompassing brief, the development of individual yet interconnected spaces required a diverse design approach that was intent on attracting people of all ages and interests.

The entrance is announced by a curve-linear coffer designed to conceal the MR16 light sources above the suspended butterfly light installation. Past this, you are taken to an antechamber of sorts - a circular lounge held at the centre by a bespoke pendant matching the entryway installation.

The columns throughout the space are lit with white timber veneer wall lights specified to match the white timber cladding of the supports. Natural finishes feature throughout the extension and materials are matched again in the lounge space in front of the glass gas fire. Wicker pendants (lit with DSI dimmable compact fluorescent lamps) float above wicker furniture suspended at alternative heights, loosing the visual datum of the ceiling above. The glass bound fireplace is flanked on either side by recessed banquette seats which are lit with MR11s recessed into the joinery above the seats washing the paper-clad back panels.

A pair of coffers finished in polished textured plaster are lit by vertically recessed MR11s making the most of limited recessing space without creating an unsightly glare source.

Back towards the bar, trios of loose weave flattened spheres continue the organic overtones, but break the regimented lines of rough red spiral pendants over the entrance return of the bar. These red spiral pendants are found in a repeat element opposite the bar, staggered below a corner bulkhead bringing warmth and human scale to a rather exposed seating

location. Red theming continues along the back of bar which is illuminated red acrylic, backlit to a gradient drawing attention to the bottles on display.

Through passed the bar, aspects of the TAB are seen – red doughnut pendants with clean lines matching the plasma clad walls give a soft glow to an area that allows suitable light levels for operation as a TAB during the day and after hours as an intimate dance floor when music videos are played on the LCD screens replacing the horse racing. Smaller red doughnuts illuminate the booths( kitted out with touch screen plasmas)  in the sports lounge to the right of the TAB. This breaks away from the textured lushness of the lounge spaces discussed above, bringing in a theme for a younger, more techno-savvy crowd.

A feature wall of tree trunks is simply illuminated by downlights hidden in a recessed coffer with the intent of presenting a scene of a forest with dappled sunlight filtering through. This inference of outdoors is then met with the real thing – doors to the terrace lead out into a stepped plush space with vegetation framing three sides through low and high level planter boxes illuminated with garden spikes. The long slim space has three feature Sensitile installations that have been lit with Dynalite controlled colour change LED which has been installed, hidden along the vertical right hand side of the panel. The LED is refracted by the specialized material randomly scattering points of light through the acrylic. When the LEDs are put on a chase and colour change sequence, the panels loose their static appearance and begin to ripple and flow.

Dry bars in the terrace are lit with dimmed warm white strip LEDs recessed into the underside of the counters providing a further vertical illumination into the terraced outdoor space. The wet bars inside have the same detail tying together these joinery elements. The wet bars inside also have LED task lighting on the service side of the bar, providing low level light required for bar service without glare.

DESIGN - Altis Architecture
The Castle Hill Lounge project brief was to create a vibrant yet comfortable environment which would attract a broader range of patrons from families to younger new members. A significant inspiration in particular was the unique Castle Hill landscape, boasting a plethora of feature gardens, parks and tree-lined streets.

Altis endeavoured to incorporate this natural landscape theme into the design of the lounge in various ways. Firstly, natural finishes, neutral tones were used with strong feature colours in lighting, artwork, carpet and FF&E to give it a unique and interesting edge.

Additionally, a visual link to the outdoor courtyards from an interior perspective adds a layer of connection between inside and outside. Hence it was very important that the outside courtyard spaces were both visually appealing whilst being practical.

Textured stone finishes, the use of timbers, a pebbled fireplace and a dramatic all natural “log-wall” running from the outdoors right through to the interior palette all contribute to ensuring the connection between inside and outside was both seamless and organic in its approach.

Due to the southerly aspect of the new Castle Hill Lounge, an airy approach with lighter tones coupled with warm accents was combined to enhance light flow and openness. This offers a contrast to the northern (more conservative) side of the club which with more natural light available has darker tones.

The overall development intended to give a fresh, contemporary new aspect to the Castel Hill RSL. It was envisaged that the new development would provide an environment which could balance a cross-section of patrons, therefore a variety of purpose from day to night, always relating back to the original landscape theme.