Project Team

design: Grant Amon, Kate Hogan, Adel Winterbridge
builder: Joe Skafo, Offbite P/L

Photographs: Sonia Mangiapane

Bluebottle restaurant within the Olsen Hotel, the latest addition to the uber-chic Art Series hotels, is themed in homage to the legendary Australian artist John Olsen. Even the name comes from an Olsen painting: the famous Popping Blue Bottles, inspired by his childhood spent at Bondi Beach.

The ultra-modern interior is elegant and reminiscent of the ocean, with a calamari-shaped bar and lobster-pot light shades among the furnishings made from new and recycled natural materials.

From the hotel foyer the Bluebottle bar and restaurant is revealed as a natural extension of the space. First impressions of the voluminous double height space will be of the oval shaped main bar with its translucent curtain shroud suspended over it. Evocative images of cooking, food and fish penned by Olsen, are projected onto this wavy screen. Otherwise the space is featured by the striking cane and metal lights that hang from the main central columns support the hotel over. The dark blue ceiling is draped in fishnet as the view is cast over generous seating options and spaces below.

The round tiled columns of aqua blues and greens set the tone over the timber floor and natural cane light features. The warm white of the backlit bar top and curtain over are set against a timber boarded and battened kitchen servery wall.

Materials used include timber, recycled and new, round mosaic tiles, dark stone benches, metal and cane ‘lobster pot’ lights, linen curtains, black fishnet, leather seating, pale timber chairs.

Furniture includes circular dark blue leather banquettes, pale timber cafe chairs, and recycled oak communal tables.

The most noticable feature is the backlit oval ‘Calamari ring’ marblo bartop and curtain above. Also of note are the suspended cane lights hung off the tiled circular columns and leather banquette seating.