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The Centennial
Interior Commendation
ALEXANDER TZANNES
top The public bar looking towards the restaurant. above The restaurant with public bar beyond.
The Centennial Hotel, which occupies a
corner site in a conservation zone in
Sydney’s eastern suburbs, has been
refurbished as a modern tavern and
restaurant, with large new windows
facing two streets and the dining room
oriented to a private rear courtyard.
Care has been taken to contain noise
from neighbouring houses by fitting
three thicknesses of acoustic glazing to
external openings and acoustic linings
to ceilings and internal walls. The
interior design, of timber, stainless steel
and glass, is intended to provide a
neutral background for the dynamic
activities of chefs, waiters, diners and drinkers.
Jury Verdict
A highly mannered and controlled
aesthetic, used in subtle ways, has
resulted in a most seductive and restful
interior to a bar/restaurant complex.
Bold gestures abound: the oversize
pivot doors, the recycled flooring, the
large windowscape with contemplative
landscape beyond, the iteration of
pressed plywood acoustic panels used
both in walls and ceilings.
This hotel is cheek-by-jowl to
residences in a highly developed
Sydney eastern suburb. Ensuring that
disturbances are kept to a minimum,
windows throughout are specially
treated to reduce noise and a sound
shell has been constructed to house the
restaurant. The high ceilings and
extensive use of natural light make this
an airy space during the day, and the
spotlit birches in the courtyard add
another element at night. The interiors
are elegantly executed, using simple
materials that are well finished and
robust to suit the application.
Restaurant and side entrance.
Photography Bart Maiorana
The Centennial, Woollahra, NSW Architects, Landscape Architects, Interior
Designers, Lighting Designers Alexander Tzannes
Associates—design architects Alec Tzannes,
Julian Venning; project team Julian Venning, Con
Psaltis, Vera Batalha, Anna Power. Conservation
Architect Trevor Howells. Structural and Civil
Engineers James Taylor & Associates. Mechanical
and Services Engineers Bill Nappin & Associates.
Acoustics Louis Challis & Associates. Quantity
Surveyor Donald Bayley & Associates.
Programmers and Builders Beach Constructions.