Bligh Street Lobby
This building was slated for demolition to make way for a new hotel development, but the owners changed their mind and needed to refurbish the building to attract new tenants. We renovated the ground floor podium and entry lobby, and the lobby’s and facilities of the floors above. What was a1960’s PTW designed government office building, we decided to keep the existing marble floor and walls, as to replace them would have only been with inferior materials. We looked to enhance the existing materials by adding a backlit gridded ceiling, serrated timber wall, mirrors, and brass detailing. We salvaged ceramic tiles from the old lobby walls that were hidden by plasterboard, and created an installation with them at the end of the lift lobby. The furniture and lighting for the lobby was kept to a minimum, with classic Saarinen coffee and side tables, and a custom leather sofa and Tretford rug. We also re-configured the entry podium and stairs, replacing clunky glass balustrades and mismatched granite with black terrazzo, brass handrails, new planters and signage.
Photography by Nicholas Watt