QT Melbourne

Located where the “Paris end” of Melbourne meets the darker underground of the Russell Street laneways, the design narrative conceptualized for QT Melbourne was inspired by the site’s context and the theatre of burlesque, fusing French Noir inspiration with the glamour of the QT Brand. A noir undercurrent is omnipresent across all guest touch-points, from the intriguing brand identity to the graphic installations, transforming the hotel experience into “Maison QT.”

These themes are explored through an Avant-Garde experimental play between light, dark and shadows, where skin is the canvas for suggestive contours and contrasting patterns in rich black and silver adorning guest collateral. From arrival at the guest reception with its finely etched facade to the moody floral graphic adorning the feature lift wall through to an enveloping collage of classical sculptures installed as digital wallpaper within the washroom, the boudoir theme underpins the whole hotel experience.

Hotel venues heighten the theme of seduction with unique identities, yet share the overarching theme of unexpected, hidden twists and the seduction of the dark side. Dark romance takes center stage for Pascale Bar & Grill; Tanto Knives & Sharpening, a neo-traditional blend of Damascus steel, tsuba iconography and retro Japanese type design; Hot Sauce responds to its late-night laneway context in layered graphics and neon; for The Cake Shop, Marie Antoinette with a head full of patisserie is layered over a contemporary gloss-dot pattern.

Design Team

Fabio Ongarato (creative director), Nuttorn Vongsurawat (senior designer), Ben Kluger (design director), Sarah Cope (project director)

Project Area

140,469 sq ft

Consultants

Stuart Patience, Nic Graham & Associates

Fabricators

Creative Visuals Signage, Bentleigh Signs