Construction is progressing on Ace Hotel Sydney, a 19-storey tower which will rise from the iconic heritage federation warehouse known as ‘Tyne House’ in Surry Hills.
The renowned Ace Hotel brand has partnered with Golden Age Group to develop its first Australian location at 47-53 Wentworth Ave, Surry Hills, with construction firm Hickory appointed to bring the project to life.
A household name in the United States, Ace Hotel is a boutique operator renowned for producing unique, thoughtfully designed properties that honour the architectural and social history of a site, whilst reimagining those spaces as vibrant hubs of creativity, commerce and community interaction.
Ace Hotel Group has locations spanning New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Kyoto, with Toronto also slated for a 2021 opening.
The new development in Sydney will be no exception, maintaining the early 20th-century warehouse façade of Tyne House and salvaging certain elements for use within the hotel.
The oldest known kiln in Australia was previously found on the heritage site, and prior to demolition, archaeologist works took place to carefully remove any artefacts.
Artist’s impression of Ace Hotel Sydney (image supplied).
Designed in partnership with Australian architecture firm, Bates Smart, the hotel will feature 264 hotel rooms, with an elegant rooftop cocktail bar and sophisticated dining areas found on Level 18. The ground floor lobby will also incorporate an adjacent bar and cafe.
In collaboration with Mann Group, Hickory has undertaken a complex demolition of the existing structure, which involved adding 100 tonnes of additional structural steel to retain the nine-storey heritage façade.
Hickory was also required to undertake the replacement works for one of Sydney Water’s oldest oviform drain assets. The historic brickwork stormwater channel was built in the 1860s, with the stormwater line entirely below ground and preceding through the foundations of Ace Hotel.
Managing Director of Hickory, George Abraham, detailed that logistically, the installation process was quite complicated, as they needed to work around the structural steel bracing system to retain the heritage façade.
“We have now successfully installed a new drain channel which is constructed from glass-reinforced plastic to maintain the obscure oviform shape, and then encased in reinforced concrete,” Mr Abraham said.
Podium transfer slabs have also been completed, with structure works progressing through the heritage floors.
The façade and finishes are expected to commence shortly, with Hickory working to preserve additional heritage elements such as the original oriel bay timber window, and pressed metal cladding and cornices.
Ace Hotel Sydney is set for completion in late-2021.
