The Sugarmill Hotel is a mix of venues under one roof from the owners of Cargo, The Loft and Gazebo Wine Garden. The ground-floor is an old-school style pub harking back to the Cross’ bohemian past while the second and third floor club/bar, Kit and Kaboodle, has a Shanghai vibe.
Designer David Hicks said that the client wanted a new concept in venue for Sydney.
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The brief was formulated between the client and us over the two year project," he said. "The client really wanted to explore and have fun with this venue and their dedication to pushing the boundaries of design certainly kept us on our toes. We have used the flavour of Melbourne's St Kilda and added touches of downtown New York. With references to establishments such as New York's 'Pastis', freqeunted by the girls on 'Sex in the City', and Melbournes 'the George Wine Room' the theme is quirky, relaxed, tactile and earthy."
Mixing these concepts and injecting new, fresh ideas has resulted in an exciting, warm and very bespoke design, certainly the direction the client wanted to take.
The brief from the client was to source, design or find furniture that was different. A majority of the furniture has been specifically designed for both comfort and empathy with the local street scene while taking cues from yesteryear.
The main challenge of this project was the co-ordination of services into the existing building structure.
"Due to the amount of services such as lighting, airconditioning, ventialtion, sprinklers, electrical etc we had to design the ceilings in conjunction with these services and then massage the space below into a workable and interesting layout for the design of the venue," commented David. "This is always tricky when dealing with old buildings.
"The other challenge was the sourcing side of the design for new materials and suppliers of finishes and furniture. We had to look to the USA for certain product as Australia just does not have the history or the population to allow an abundance of good vintage product. A lot of the light fittings and furniture was sourced from America and Europe so the logistics of purchasing it and getting it over here was a huge hurdle. Qne that was worth it in the end."
The Asian infused 'Kit' is a Shanghai-tastic space that has been inspired by such diverse influences as 80's discoteques, Chinese hawkers markets, Dolce Gabbana and Yves Saint Laurent's famous opium advertisments. This intoxicating mix of colonial Shanghai decadence provides a play den for the most hedonistic.
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