A 23-storey hotel tower would be built above the former Universal Film Manufacturing Co building in Sydney, under plans submitted to the local council.
The red-brick warehouse building at 499 Kent Street, variously described as being in the Art Deco or inter-war Stripped Classical styles, was designed in 1936 by architect P. William Ritchie.
The building was warehouse and film exchange for Universal Film Manufacturing Co. The original plans incorporated film storage vaults and a projection theatre. It is locally heritage listed for its association with the film industry as well as its architectural style.
The concept plan for the hotel development, prepared by PTW Architects, calls for the four-storey building to be adapted to house two storeys for retail use and two storeys for the hotel. Set back eight metres, the tower above would accommodate 220 hotel rooms.
The concept proposal for 499 Kent Street.
PTW Architects states in planning documents that the design will contribute to an understanding of the building’s historic context within an evolving streetscape.
“The proposed tower envelope will seek to provide a physical and visual separation with the original face brick façade,” the urban design statement notes. “This will enable the urban form, scale and detailing of the former Universal Film Manufacturing Company Warehouse to continue to be an important historic urban element within the public domain of Kent Street.”
Should the concept proposal be approved a competitive design alternatives process will be undertaken to find a final design.
