As Sydney’s newest residential tower gets closer to completion, Crown Residences has launched a partnership with Space Furniture that offers tailored collections of furniture and fittings for the interiors of One Barangaroo’s new residents. more space discusses the project with Erin van Tuil of Crown Residences and David Hartikainen of Space Furniture.
Rising from one of Sydney’s most beautiful harbour locations, One Barangaroo and its tapering glass facade has been described by the architects as playing with space, light and materials, and embracing the “spirit of the new". For its UK-based architects Wilkinson Eyre, now well known for their RIBA Lubetkin Prize-winning Gardens by the Bay in Singapore and projects from Guangzhou to London, One Barangaroo will be the studio's first building in Sydney and the city’s first hotel branded residential development. While on the inside, New York practice Meyer-Davis whose projects include The Four Seasons and Ritz Carlton hotels, were engaged to bring an approach to the interiors that is rich in detail and experience.
The brief for the project was developed through what Erin van Tuil at Crown Residences describes as a "heavily interrogated” approach. The team travelled the world to look at a selection of extraordinary developments in London, New York, Singapore and Mumbai. "We interrogated the detail of the world's best residential buildings: 432 Park Avenue in New York; One Hyde Park in London and hospitality branded residences as far afield as Mumbai. We looked at size and space as well as the essential features required for a truly luxurious residential offering," explains van Tuil who has been integral in the big picture planning for One Barangaroo. "People who are moving from large family homes, or young entrepreneurs who travel a lot, they don’t want the stress and hassle of maintenance, they want to move into a home that is super convenient. So it’s taking all of those things into account and building what in essence is a home in the sky.”
When complete, every residence will be fully integrated within the new Crown Hotel that is a first for Australia. Residents will have access to everything from room service to spa facilities and housekeeping, whatever would be available to the VIP hotel guests staying at Crown Resorts. It’s what Crown Residences describes as the other layer of luxury, saving guests time by providing extraordinary levels of service. “Just say you are travelling, an app can connect you to the hotel concierge and they will send the cleaners in, change the linen, stock the fridge, everything can be organised for your return. So it’s that level of luxury,” adds van Tuil.
Drawing on more than 20 years of experience working with the world’s best furniture brands, Space Furniture joined the team as a strategic partner to develop a curated furniture and lightning collection for the One Barangaroo display residence. While the Space design team works with new residents on the selection of pieces for individual apartments, with new releases from the Milan Furniture Fair and classics from the range selected to respond to the colours, tones and finishes of the interiors by Meyer-Davis.
"We interrogated the detail of the world's best residential buildings: 432 Park Avenue in New York; One Hyde Park in London and hospitality branded residences as far afield as Mumbai. We looked at size and space as well as the essential features required for a truly luxurious residential offering.”
Erin van Tuil, Crown Residences
"One of the things I find amazing about these apartments and unique to Sydney, is the proportions and space that has been given to each residence. Nothing has been compromised,” remarks David Hartikainen, who is heading up the project’s design team at Space. "You walk into an apartment and the 2.8 metre ceilings, floor to ceiling glazing and very generous layouts feel lovely.” Hartikainen explains. “In the display residence, we have chosen the Apollo sofa designed by Antonio Citterio for Maxalto. It is an interesting design because it has a slight curve to it, so it’s really playing on its form and is the perfect sofa to encourage social dynamics in the living area. With the launch of B&B Italia’s new and luxurious range of fabrics, we can highlight each piece with colours and textures that pick up from the harbour and the abundance of blue and green from North to South Head."
"In the last few years we have seen our brands collaborate on large hotel projects, like the Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts in Milan and Bali, the Aman Resorts in Venice and the Mondrian Doha in the Middle East. As brands and designers move into the hospitality market, you can see residential and hotel interiors becoming more and more aligned."
David Hartikainen, Space Furniture
The project involves furniture brands including Maxalto, B&B Italia, Edra, Giorgetti and Moooi, who all have experience working with high-end luxurious hotels all over the world. “In the last few years we have seen our brands collaborate on large hotel projects, like the Bvlgari Hotels and Resorts in Milan and Bali, the Aman Resorts in Venice and the Mondrian Doha in the Middle East”, remarks Hartikainen. "As brands and designers move into the hospitality market, you can see residential and hotel interiors becoming more and more aligned.” Like the hospitality market where brands often produce tailored pieces to suit a particular client, Space is currently collaborating with brands to produce tailored pieces. “For one client we are working with the furniture house Edra to customise a dining table, it will be a one-off and it’s a really interesting project. It’s that level of collaboration we have with our brands that has been very exciting for us to offer Crown Residence clients.”
It is this thoroughly integrated approach to every detail that gives the project its depth of luxury. "Having the right architect, a hugely impressive building in the right location with the right finishes, amenity and services, all of those things have to come together to create a product like this. You can’t have a fabulous architectural building but interiors that just don’t work, so that was incredibly important”, reiterates van Tuil, “Being able to offer our residents a very trusted furniture provider to work with is an extra that has certainly been well received."
