openings, enhancing visibility into the new square. New landscaping improved integration with the precinct.
MLT House: Due to its limited heritage value, only the eastern façade was retained and incorporated into the adjacent hotel development.
2 Park Street: Formerly Rick’ s Americain Café, the Victorian building was sensitively refurbished. The back extension was partially demolished and a sunken courtyard introduced, creating a new frontage and transition to Summit Lane retail alley.
The new hotel is located on a complex, irregular site. Heights were limited to match nearby heritage buildings and kept below permitted zoning allowances, resulting in a ground-plus-four-storey building.
Contemporary elements reference, but do not mimic, the historic architecture. Steel detailing and industrial forms echo the site’ s former use. The hotel activates the ground level with restaurants and retail, encouraging daynight use. A retail alley between the hotel buildings, with access to New Church Street via an external stair, adds to visual corridors and open space. This improves internal circulation and reconnects the previously landlocked precinct with the surrounding urban fabric.
Materials complement existing red brick and white plaster. Landscaping features reclaimed granite cobbles, weathered steel and deciduous trees. The public square includes indigenous planting, integrated wooden seating and broad staircases to navigate level changes.
Sustainability is prioritised through the adaptive reuse of buildings, preserving embodied energy. High-performance glazing reduces solar gain, while energy-efficient lighting and systems improve building
SAPOA Awards 97