It is always exciting to see a business push the boundaries of their industry. Yaralla Sports Club in Gladstone is one of those innovators.  Recent years have seen the Central Queensland region experience industry growth which has expanded demand for ancillary amenity to the Gladstone area. Yaralla Sports Club identified that there was a significant shortfall in accommodation and made the decision to diversify their offerings to include a hotel. The global hotel giant, Accor, was approached and out of the resulting franchise agreement, the Mercure Gladstone was born. This, the first community-owned Accor accommodation in Queensland was to set itself apart from competitors by offering the benefit of a range of entertainment facilities onsite.

Brisbane-based design firm Brand + Slater Architects worked closely with the Club to transform their vision into reality. The result – a 60 room hotel, new shared entry and foyer, public bar and amenities.  The crux of the brief was to maintain the feel of a community club, sympathetic to the current demographic yet appealing to its future corporate clientele.

The remodelled and relocated entrance serves both the Club and Hotel, and features a new porte-cochere leading into an impressive, double-volume foyer. Upon entering, Club members and hotel guests move through to the rear of the foyer to the reception desk: their journey allowing them both to appreciate the space and gather their bearings. With a palette of neutral tones, the space is light and welcoming. The shared foyer aims to create a simple grandeur, void of ostentatiousness and staying true to the conceptual idea of a community club – albeit on a larger scale. Pale large-format tiles span the plaza-like space, complemented by timber panelling, textured wall

cladding by Quantum Innovations and subdued coloured surfaces. The lighting consists mainly of soft coffered illumination, highlighted by series of gold beehive pendants suspended from the adjacent timber lounge bar enclosure.

Adjacent to the foyer is the new public bar area. Open to the foyer but separated physically by a detailed timber framed enclosure, this space would be equally at home in the reception lounge of most five-star hotels and acts as a transition between the existing club and the new extensions. A shift towards a red and yellow palette, lower teardrop shaped ceiling features and softer lighting work together to create a warmer, more intimate space. This material connection with the existing Club is further enhanced with custom designed carpet (based on existing design), plush furnishings by Cubus and Quantum Innovations cladding.

Yaralla Sports Club has received instant success with its bold initiative: a testament to the toiling of the Club’s management, designers and contractors arrive at the best possible solution for their vision. Brand + Slater Architects have enjoyed a 12 year relationship with Yaralla Sports Club and are excited about working with them on their future ventures.