Glazed face bricks from PGH Bricks & Pavers were selected by the architects to meet the design brief for the interior fit-out at the Atura Blacktown hotel in Sydney.

Projecting an edgy, youthful vibe, the Atura Blacktown has been designed as a fun and functional hotel, providing an ideal location for young urban professionals and families for work or leisure.

Owners Amalgamated Holdings Limited (AHL) briefed Project Architect, PTI Group and Interior Design Architect, Nicholas Graham & Associates on their vision to launch a new and exciting brand of hotels called Atura, beginning with the Western Sydney location. The brief sought an original building design that would differentiate itself from its conservative rivals.

According to Project Architect Viet Dang, fulfilling the design brief was an evolving process, eventually culminating in a visually dynamic, contemporary and unique design.

Once the building’s structure was finalised, Matt Nadilo and Nadine Hassan from Nicholas Graham & Associates were able to execute AHL’s interior design brief, which sought an environment reminiscent of a Palm Springs resort incorporating design elements, colour and furniture that reflected a 1950s ‘Mid-Century Modern’ architectural and design style.

Each of these elements needed to integrate with the raw, urban-industrial fabric of the actual building, requiring Matt, Nadine and Viet to collaborate on a regular basis during the build to ensure the project was visually cohesive.

A major challenge for the interior designers was how best to maintain the open plan environment while creating separate, functional zones that would have their own sense of intimacy and purpose.

This was achieved through the use of a variety of decorative and structural elements in the internal fit-out, including industrial lighting, plywood cabinetry, exposed aggregate floors, 50s-style designer furniture and over 7,500 glazed face bricks from the PGH Vibrant and Academy collections in keeping with the urban industrial look.

Matt Nadilo explained that the glazed bricks from the PGH Vibrant and Academy collections were selected for their robust quality, vibrant colour, smooth, fully glazed finish and serviceability. Cosmic (plum), Paris (pink) and Nobel (black) bricks were used to build the low level structural walls that would define various public areas including the reception area, lobby business centre, restaurant and bar.