Originally named the Seaford Hotel, the Beach Hotel is located in a western suburb of Adelaide. As the name suggests, it is in close proximity to sea and beaches. Set on a prominent corner, the building form evokes images of ‘New York Hamptons’ coastal design with steeply pitched roofs and clad in weather boards with French windows and doors.

While the building had a strong presence externally, the hotels internal design and program was confused and lacked atmosphere. In particular there was little opportunity connecting to the outside for dining or drinking experiences. The brief was to create a fresh and exciting design that focused on strong food and beverage offer.

The hotels proximity to the beach was used as a cue for establishing the basis for the design. The weather board was continued internally as a cladding for bars and walls and a white brick was introduced to balance crispness of the painted weatherboard.

The hotels program was essentially maintained as the centrally located kitchen prohibited major planning changes. The gaming room was enlarged and separated with an island bar that created a cosy lounge bar. An internal street finished with cobble tile links customers from the main foyer to either the gaming room, Lounge Bar or Bistro.

The bistro has been reduced from what originally felt like a large cafeteria, to a more comfortable scale. A series of low walls and a central fireplace create subtle divisions that enable customers to feel comfortable while an eclectic selection of furniture deformalises the space.