In the Ace Hotel’s sole southern hemisphere location, Fiona Lynch unveils a new rooftop bar and restaurant space that reflects the diversity of Australian culture with a global perspective.
The Ace Hotel Sydney enlisted Melbourne-based studio Fiona Lynch Office to create a striking hospitality space on its 18th floor. Aptly named Kiln, a nod to the building’s history, the restaurant and rooftop bar recognises Australian craftsmanship by championing locally sourced materials and custom-made pieces.
With a commitment to sustainability and multidisciplinary collaboration, Fiona Lynch Office brings meaningful design to every corner of the space.
Rammed earth plaster walls and hand-worked aluminium joinery accompany distinctive Australian stone in the restaurant’s bar area. Custom ceiling lights designed by Fiona Lynch feature throughout the space.
The hotel is located in a former warehouse and was once home to one of Australia’s oldest known Kilns. “From the outset, Ace wanted it to be an Australian take on what an Ace Hotel could be – one that would reflect Australia’s culture, colours, and design language,” Fiona says. “Their desire was for Kiln to feel like a distinctly different space within the hotel,” Fiona adds. Occupying the building’s top level, Kiln maximises its Surry Hills outlook. Unexpected views of the city are revealed throughout the two dining areas, two bars, a lounge and two terrace dining areas.
When entering the restaurant, guests are taken on a journey from a piercing blue resin wall, to robust aluminium joinery and leather and fabric seating. Favouring local and sustainable materials where possible, the bar and floors feature bold stone from regional quarries, while the joinery and custom furniture are crafted with locally-sourced and recycled timbers. These earthen tones and raw textures, combined with bold colour injections, create a vibrant space.
Materials were also salvaged from the building and ground into pigment, with Lynch collaborating with Spacecraft Studio to create a unique hand printed textile for several of Kiln’s walls and window surrounds. These patterned textiles pay homage to the site’s history as a garment factory. “The palette came together quite organically to reflect the Australian landscape in a beautiful way,” Fiona says, “tethering these interiors to the historic, urban Sydney neighbourhood that Kiln overlooks.”
“The history and background of this site is absolutely incredible; from housing Australia’s first-ever kilns, to being a garment factory, it’s a space that’s imbued with creative spirit.”
– Fiona Lynch
“The building’s windows were generous, so we designed banquette seating around the perimeters to create a relaxed and layered space,” Fiona says.
Designer Fiona Lynch beside a custom DJ booth.
In the utility room, Australian lighting designer Volker Haug created a custom aluminium panel with ombré finish brass designed by Fiona Lynch Office.
A Noguchi-inspired reception desk in hand-finished aluminium with the Mini Coupe light by Joe Colombo and Scoop wall light by Studio Henry Wilson.
