InterContinental Sydney

Design studio Woods Bagot has transformed InterContinental Sydney in a top-to-bottom redesign of the five-star property across guest rooms, public areas, restaurant and bar venues.

Tracey Wiles, Interior Design Leader at Woods Bagot, said the $120 million project was unlike any other due to the diverse scope of works, the 171-year heritage of the property and its iconic location next to the Royal Botanic Garden overlooking Sydney Harbour.

Key was integrating and enhance the old and new elements of InterContinental Sydney, which blends the three-level Treasury Building, built in 1851, and a 32-level tower completed in 1985.

Woods Bagot took a bold approach, flooding rooms with the blues and greens of sub-tropical Sydney, while upscaling the hotel’s restaurant and bar venues to give visitors an elevated experience and attract more locals.

“The heritage architecture gave us a beautiful palette of colours, textures and classic geometries – crafted in sandstone, brickwork, timber,” says Wiles.

“In the guest rooms, embracing the tonal layering of a blue and green palette was a bold approach which works incredibly well in connecting with the amazing views. It’s a strong departure from the standard beige on beige you so often see in modern properties.”

Jennifer Brown, General Manager for InterContinental Sydney, said the redesign took the property into a new era of luxury while also giving it greater local appeal.

“A big part of our vision was to make sure we were creating not only something for hotel guests but for everyone else too,” says Brown.

Images courtesy of Trevor Mein