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Italian mixers, rich textures and dramatic light fixtures are used in the bathrooms.

“Organic-style shapes influenced the design of all the furniture and everything is contrasting, so you have the light natural wood with the dark wood. The use of contrasting elements is then carried through. We’ve actually carried a lot of the themes through, so you do feel like there is continuity,” Skea explained.

A few other materials keep making an appearance: palasandro and Saint Laurent marble, onyx, maccassar ebony, dark walnut and quartz stone on the wall cladding. “It’s pretty much the same palette of finishings. We tried to use the same materials more or less throughout the property, so that there’s a continuity when you move from one space to the next,” Skea adds.

The fluidity of the design is apparent in the way that the reception area melts into the lobby lounge and then on into the bridge link area, setting the tone for spaces that are open and uninterrupted.

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“We’ve managed, even with all the services coming through, to keep it very open. There are no doors in the public spaces. The reception goes into the lobby lounge through to the bridge link, which then goes into the all-day dining, and there’s a lovely flow throughout the public area.”

In the bridge link area, a glass bridge passes overhead offering views out across the double-height space. On the ground, external floor finishes lead in from the landscaped pool deck and curve inwards to break down bound-
aries between the interior and exterior. 

A double-height, undulating screen feature, influenced by Calatrava, spans across the back wall and leads into a tunelled lift lobby area. “We wanted to work with really strong architectural features,” Skea reiterated.

Also set on the ground floor of the hotel is a semi-secluded lounge area that sits behind a curtain of bronze chain mail and sheer bronze gauze. The space is enclosed by a series of Preciosa glass sculptures that spring from the ground to create the impression of growth and renewal. “Everything is budding and growing. It is like the desert after the rain,” Skea maintained.

In the all-day dining restaurant, furniture is characteristically solid and sculptural. An enclosed, private space that was originally designated as a smoking area was converted into a private dining area that is set apart from the remainder of the restaurant. An impressive Preciosa light fixture once again dominates, but is offset by over-scaled furniture, such as high-backed banquette seating. The space is then warmed by wooden floors. All the public area furniture was made by Speedwell Décor in Dubai, while hotel rooms were furnished by Zubair Furnishing in Oman. “We travelled a lot for sourcing and prototyping,” said Skea. “And a lot of the accessories we got from Indonesia.”

Amanda Brisbane glass representations of leaves are set into niches in the wall in both the all-day dining restaurant and the bar next door. Here, the colour scheme is infused with bright purples and royal blues, while tables inlaid with mother of pearl and cushions covered in fur add brand new materials into the mix.

Although the hotel is best characterised by its extravagant lighting fixtures and organic design elements, there is another feature that is drawing attention – elaborate and imaginative toilets. “All the public toilets are completely different in concept,” says Skea. “I always remember that when Grosvenor House opened, everyone talked about the toilets. Public toilets in hotels, like bathrooms in the rooms, are always a talking point,” she elaborates. 

In one instance, the toilet is fitted with undulating glass and a free-standing central counter supporting two rows of sinks – crystal bowls complemented by elaborately curved mixers. Meanwhile, a dramatic bronze mosaic flows through into a back-lit cubicle to interplay with palasandro marble.

This is all topped off with the sparkle of an elaborate Preciosa light fitting. Elsewhere, stone basins are served by organically-shaped tap fittings. “So, even when you walk into the toilets there is something interesting to look at.” 

While basins and taps differ in each of the public toilets, the mixers were all sourced in Italy and selected for their dramatic effect. “We tried to be wacky in each one,” Skea explain. An entrance wall that flicks outwards to create the effect of a free-flowing curtain further enhances the originality of the toilet.

It is elements such as this that best display the attention to detail that went into the project – and it is in the details that The Address excels, said the interior architect and project manager from WA International, Srinivas Mohan. “All the different details are what made this project both challenging and exciting. This isn’t the kind of project that you see all the time – it is exciting throughout,” he commented.

And this is what makes The Address the Johnny Depp of hotels, joked Stuart. “It is quirky, beautiful and different. It pushes the envelope out, it is not overdone and you don’t see it everywhere – it’s just like Johnny Depp.”