In 2019, Waratah’s 153-year-old Town Hall Hotel underwent a major renovation, designed by Fabric Architecture and delivered by Club Projects in a tight 15-week program.
The Town Hall Hotel is a Heritage-listed hotel dating back to 1866 where it was granted one of the first Licenses in the locality.
The Green Gate Inn as it was then known later became the Marchant’s Family Hotel before being re-named the Town Hall Hotel in 1897 due to its proximity to the Waratah Municipal Council Town Hall.
Fabric Architecture’s brief was to retain the legacy of ‘the Townie’ as a locals’ pub but inject enough style to open up the venue to a new kind of patron.
Their solution to the brief was to open up the public bar while retaining that cosy atmosphere, all while respecting the site’s 153-year history.
Externally, we proposed to demolish numerous poor quality additions and build a high-quality gaming room extension.
This was to be constructed from masonry paying homage to the existing brick hotel through materiality and in essence, creating a demarcation between the old and the new.
The long length of the wall is broken by expressed header bricks designed to play with the ever-changing light through shadows cast onto the wall.
The hotel had a lot of redeeming features and a lot of very poor additions, both in the planning sense and execution.
One of the more beautiful features of the original hotel was the pressed tin ceiling and cornices. At no point did Fabric Architecture ever consider getting rid of these.
Instead they made these the hero and all design choices made around them, working out how to restore and enhance the ceilings whilst incorporating modern lighting, sound and fire requirements.
During the renovations, the owners took the opportunity to re-image the brand to include some of the hotel’s history.
That review resulting in a logo inspired by the hotel’s history with the Tooth’s Brewery.
Key Products Used
External Brick – PGH Bricks, Black and Tan
External Tile – Earp Bros
External Cladding – James Hardie HardieFlex with custom batten detail.
Carpet – Brintons Centauri
Bar Cladding – Porta Timber Cirque
Furniture – NuFurn
Gaming Room Screens – Mink Flamingo Custom laser cut design. Finished in Interpon Precis Pure Gold
Project Details
Completion Date – 2019
Building Levels – 2
Project Details
Architecture
Fabric Architecture
Fabric Architecture is a contemporary design studio located on the Central Coast of New South Wales, Australia. We focus on Architecture and design – from buildings to public space, to small scale bespoke furniture design.
Construction
Club Projects Newcastle
Photography
Dominic Loneragan
Forging a reputation for high-quality and emotive imagery, Dominic Loneragan is one of the most respected and demanded image-makers in Sydney.
Dominic prides himself on providing a one-stop-shop for impeccable video and photography.
Specialising in lifestyle and commercial imagery, Dominic has shot for some of the biggest brands in Australia and the world, including Georg Jensen, HERMES and Audi.
As well as regularly shooting for major publications, such as Gourmet Traveller, Real Living and Vogue.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2021 Fabric Architecture. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2021 Dominic Loneragan. All Rights Reserved.
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