Multi-purpose commercial spaces can sometimes fall on the bland side. In a bid to appeal to everyone (or perhaps more accurately, not to offend anyone) few risks are taken by the architect.
Not so at the Nishi Commercial development in the Australian capital of Canberra. Architects March Studio let their creativity out in the grand stair design of this impressive lobby for Hotel Hotel.
As guests walk in, the wooden slat design has a distinct sense of movement at some angles, and looks like it could be frozen in time at others.
The use of light - whether it's indirect from the next room, from the built-in luminaires, or streaming through from outside - only adds to this effect.
In complete contrast the hectic nature of the atrium, other parts of Hotel Hotel are peaceful, though still use the same timber aesthetic.
This time, the wooden slats are cut and spaced to the millimetre, giving a calmer, less anarchic atmosphere - think a Swedish steam room without so many naked people.
