Pictured: the hotel’s penthouse spans almost an entire floor, with floor-to-ceiling windows. All furniture throughout the hotel was sourced from local Australian artisans. Jardan’s Joy Bear Chair was specially commissioned, just like the Volker Haug Orange light and Ross Gardam Round light. Kennedy Nolan worked with Cadry’s to design the custom rugs.
Spice-toned gold and brown interiors in the west-facing rooms glow in the afternoon light.
Explore the newly-opened Melbourne Place, where contemporary design, art, and architecture converge in the heart of the city.
Melbourne Place is a 14-storey hotel by esteemed architecture and design studio Kennedy Nolan. As their debut hotel project, Kennedy Nolan has taken their highly recognisable approach and understanding of the city’s architectural and cultural identity to design 191 rooms, a spacious penthouse, two hospitality venues, and event spaces.
The façade takes cues from the surrounding 19th and early 20th-century architecture, including iconic landmarks like the T&G Building and Cavendish House, through the use of red brick and tinted concrete. Kennedy Nolan’s signature circular windows serve as the hotel’s ‘eyes’ from the rooftop, softly illuminated from within. The building is further enveloped in a tinted precast panel that interacts with light to form a dynamic, three-dimensional pattern. The top three levels feature a ‘recessed top-knot’ design, wrapped in a glazed curtain wall and protected by a corten brise-soleil.
Kennedy Nolan’s selection of materials was based on being locally sourced, hard-wearing and naturally textural.
Kennedy Nolan combined oiled Jarrah wood, warm textiles, and raw brass, creating a rich and nuanced palette not typical of a hotel environment.
Each room and suite is defined by a vibrant and contrasting colour palette, unified by the extensive use of Jarrah wood. When selecting each hue, the studio focused more on the mood it created upon entering the space than the colour itself.
Kennedy Nolan is a passionate advocate for Australian art and design, and this dedication is evident throughout Melbourne Place. The hotel celebrates local craftsmanship with furniture from Melbourne’s leading brands such as Jardan, Mark Tuckey, Coco Flip, and Didier, alongside pieces by makers like Studio Blank. The lighting, designed by Volker Haug and Ross Gardam, adds another layer of local artistry. Tapware is sourced from Sussex, while custom-made baths by Mains Water Co. and basins by Robert Gordon complement the specially developed Fibonacci Terrazzo tiles. Rugs throughout the hotel were designed by Kennedy Nolan in collaboration with Cadry’s.
The studio also partnered with MARS Gallery to curate works by emerging and mid-career interdisciplinary artists from Melbourne’s creative community. Atong Atem’s ‘Banksia’ video piece in the foyer sets the tone from entry, while thoughtfully placed artworks guide guests through the hotel’s various floors.
Sustainability was as integral to Melbourne Place as its design ethos, designed to operate as carbon neutral with features such as passive solar shading. A long-time collaborator of Kennedy Nolan, Amanda Oliver Gardens oversaw the garden spaces for the balconies, which beautifully integrate with the street’s existing tree canopies.
The tapware is locally sourced from Sussex, while custom-made baths are crafted by Mains Water Co., bespoke basins by Robert Gordon, and Fibonacci Terrazzo tiles in specially developed colours complete the design.
Tapping into the city’s culinary reputation, Melbourne Place hosts a Mediterranean-inspired rooftop restaurant, Mid Air by Nicholas Deligiannis, a ground-floor restaurant Marmelo by Sydney’s Ross and Sunny Lusted, inspired by coastal Portugal and Spain, and an enigmatic basement bar, Mr Mills. The hotel also has meeting and events spaces designed for weddings, corporate events and private dining, and a fitness space on the lower level.
In a conversation on the est living podcast This Much I Know with Karen McCartney, Kennedy Nolan founder Patrick Kennedy reflected on the hotel’s design process, describing the collaboration as not only enjoyable but “conceptually and intellectually fascinating.” The studio sought to blend the domestic with the theatrical, a combination that, alongside an unwavering attention to every detail, ensures each guest experience is unique, with a shared appreciation for Melbourne’s unmistakable spirit.
The Mediterranean-inspired rooftop restaurant at Melbourne Place, Mid Air by Nicholas Deligiannis.
The ground-floor restaurant Marmelo by Sydney’s Ross and Sunny Lusted, inspired by coastal Portugal and Spain.
The façade draws inspiration from the surrounding 19th and early 20th-century architecture, including landmarks like the T&G Building and Cavendish House, reflected in the use of brick and tinted concrete. Kennedy Nolan’s signature circular windows, glowing from within, serve as the hotel’s ‘eyes’ on the rooftop.
