Project Team

design: Ricky Smith Designs
av: Ultimate Power

The most unique features of this nautical venue are the glass two-story atrium, 3 metre ceiling heights and computer controlled lighting. It is the first commercial project of this size with no compression posts so all levels have structural design which allows clear floor space enabling unlimited options for placement of furniture to suit the client’s needs, bespoke furniture designs in the nightclub area, and computer lit bars which allow specific palettes to be applied to coordinate with corporate or personal preferences.

The interior palette is a visual banquet, using ‘epicurian’ colours like glistening oyster greys, champagne, washed olives, and macchiato. The overall styling is designed to allow patrons ultimate flexibility.

The project build time was tight, but all elements of the project were completed in accordance with that timeframe.

Traffic flow and space planning were driven by two significant considerations. Ricky Smith’s primary consideration was how to comfortably seat potentially 300+ diners on restaurant level on main deck while maintaining enough space for service staff to efficiently provide meal service from the Galley on the lower deck. The second was how to create a split personality nightclub which also could transpose its function into a Saloon deck lounge when required.

Every material needed to be certified for heavy commercial use in a marine environment. The selection of materials needed to be able to withstand exposure to high traffic and extreme conditions. The materials also needed to have integral interest either in colour finish or texture.

As a designer of luxury yachts and residential interiors Ricky Smith wanted to avoid all populist trends in both palette selections, furniture design, material selections and their applications. For any interior to stand out the interior design and palette needs to be original in its approach to control of space, colour and texture while making the people who engage with it look striking. The selection of metallic finishes was made to both reinforce the lighting design and to bring the extraordinary environment of Sydney landscape right into the interior. I used the high gloss paneling and hard reflective materials on the overhead ceiling designs to reinforce the watery and wave-like nature of the environment outside.

The use of vast sweeping elliptical curves ties the concept together. Ricky used the Sydney Harbour Bridge as inspiration for both the main and upper deck interior design shapes. The Naval architect’s design used large framework steel to create the shape of the vessel and immediately he saw the plans, he knew it would be quite an extreme experience to walk into something so vast inside with such a high clearance ceiling. The brutal nature of steel used on the Sydney Harbour Bridge did not stop the end result in being curvaceous and elegant so he knew it needed a female “balance” to the brutality of all the steel frame in the entry and atrium.

On the main deck the vast illuminated curves face each other and create a welcoming catwalk while on the upper deck they oppose each other and create an elliptical meeting place in which to socialize and party. Ricky also introduced curvaceous elements to all the bar fronts and the feature furniture on the Skybar open air level.

Computer controlled lighting is used to outline the curved elements of the interior design on two levels. The bespoke designed bars have multiple lighting levels integrated which are capable of producing either subtle reinforcement or extremely dramatic effects.

The 20 square metre bespoke Bridal Spa is an exclusive retreat facility where bride or groom and their party can escape and indulge in an exhilarating Beauty Shower, facials, manicures, and massages preparing for their big event.

The Green Room is a flexible facility which can accommodate Groomsmen, media organizations or musicians.

In the Epicure Nightclub Bi-fold, full height glass doors fold away and allow passengers to step out onto the wrap around balcony to enjoy open air cocktails and unequalled views.

The Epicure Skybar is the apex podium deck on-board. A fully carpeted outdoor lounge bar offering the apex podium experience to pinnacle view of Sydney Harbour lights.

Spotless Group, the owners, CEO Bruce Dixon insisted on Australian designed, Australian built.