The W Brisbane is a five-star boutique hotel located at 81 North Quay in the Brisbane Quarter.
It’s right in the heart of the city and on the edge of the Brisbane River.
W Hotels is part of Marriott International.
And when W Brisbane opened in June 2018, it was the first new five-star hotel to open in Brisbane in more than twenty years.
During those two decades, Brisbane experienced strong population growth and acquired a burgeoning sophistication, morphing into what is now a desirable right-scale city.
And so there was significant pent-up demand for new five-star hotel accommodation.
Unsurprisingly, W Brisbane met with immediate success upon opening the 312 guest rooms that have views of the Brisbane River, South Bank, and Mount Coot-tha.
Sydney-based interior designers Nic Graham & Assoc. designed the public spaces and guest rooms of the W Brisbane, the first property of the W Hotels chain in Australia.
The hotel was developed by the Shayher Group and is one of the three towers within their project:
- Hotel Tower ‘W Brisbane’ (35 stories, 312 guest rooms)
- Residential Tower ‘The One’ (82 stories, 467 apartments)
- Commercial Tower (41 stories, 48,208 m2 NLA)
Nic Graham led the interior design of the public area and guest rooms.
His design embodies an Aussie vibe and was inspired by the narrative ‘A River Dreaming’.
That’s a story about the serpent river and the life river brings to the city.
‘A River Dreaming’ pays respect to the Dreaming of the Turrbal people that consider the river as the giver of life.
“The river banks and swamps supported many communities, including the early settlers, becoming the source of life and the place of many gatherings. The main idea behind the design was to create a place on the riverbank where gatherings will form, and city stories and legends will be created.
The W DNA has been woven in with the free and easy Aussie attitude. Colour, colonial heritage, modernity, ethnicity, and influence of Australia’s indigenous roots, with a BrisVegas attitude, and sense of humor,” says Nic Graham.
From the moment of arrival, Nic’s design vision was to showcase a hotel with a distinctive Australian slant.
The feeling he wanted the design to invoke was one of positive energy that flows throughout the hotel from the moment guests enter the property.
Aspects of the iconic Brisbane River come to life throughout the hotel while weaving in Australia’s colonial heritage with elements of W’s playful and witty personality.
Inspired by the beautiful aspects of Queensland’s heritage to form a contemporary interior, W Brisbane celebrates the best of Australia and provides a contemporary interpretation of Brisbane’s indigenous heritage.
The property has been lauded by both business and leisure travelers alike and has secured a number of prestigious awards since opening.
Project Details
Completion Date – 2018
Project Team
Developer
Shayher Group is a privately owned Australian company that began operating in 1999 and has since grown into a diversified property group.
Architecture
DBI, Zenx Architects, and Cox Rayner
The design of the 300 George Street complex was a collaboration between DBI, Zenx Architects, and Cox Rayner (now separately Cox Architecture and Blight Rayner).
Interior Design
Nic Graham & Associates
Interior Design Studio Nic Graham & Assoc. was established by Nicholas Graham in 1998 in Sydney, Australia. The studio primarily focuses on hospitality, commercial, and high-end residential projects. They designed the public spaces and guest rooms at W Brisbane.
Photography
Justin Alexander
Justin is an architecture, interior, and still life photographer.
You can follow his work on Instagram.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Interior Design of Public Spaces and Guest Rooms © 2022 Nic Graham & Associates. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2022 Justin Alexander. All Rights Reserved.
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