Image Credit : Jennifer Soo
Project Overview
Glass Island is newest party boat to pull up in Sydney and our mission was to design and reimagine an existing glass vessel into the most iconic hospitality location afloat on Sydney Harbour.
Made up of 3 levels, totally unique to themselves, and inspired by AZB’s travels around the globe. We created a visually stunning environment which embraces the needs of the guests.
The top deck is inspired by travels to iconic Mediterranean beach clubs and is a lush oasis with a palette of terracotta and white, with custom seating and super-deep lounges complete with an uninterrupted panoramic view of the magnificent Sydney Harbour.
The middle deck is a manifestation of Miami pool clubs and beach front hotel lobbies; a custom mint tiled bar features with multiple lounges on a raw timber deck surrounded completely by glass. It is as if the guests are literally dancing on the water!
The lower deck is a chilled champagne lounge where guests can kick back with unique cocktails.
There is absolutely nothing like Glass Island in Australia.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Courtney Todd, Brooke Streater, Lucy Erasmus-Green, Darren Scott
Project Brief
The client wanted to take a completely different approach with this venue and, although it is a boat, any nautical design connotation was to be left far behind. The brief: design the most iconic hospitality location afloat in Australia.
AZBcreative designed Glass Island as 3 levels each totally unique to themselves and all inspired by travels to paradise locations around the globe.
The top deck bar - inspired by travels to Mediterranean beach clubs – has a palette of rust, burnt orange and white, with custom seating and super-deep lounges, lush and verdant planting and VIP table options complete with jaw dropping uninterrupted 360-degree panoramic view of the magnificent Sydney Harbour.
Stepping into the glass-walled middle deck is like finding yourself poolside at a Miami resort. There’s a seven-metre-long tiled bar at one end and a blue-and-white theme throughout surrounded completely by glass with a number of large panels sliding open so guests feel the sea breeze on their face.
The bottom level is a handsome champagne and cocktail den. Though windowless, this understated lounge is a classy escape from the top two decks.
Project Innovation/Need
When it came to the design we needed to look past the fact that it was a boat and take a completely different approach.
The result is a cohesive blend of three distinct spaces, borrowing from tropical paradises like Miami Beach and the Mediterranean, with a splash of opulence lurking underneath the water.
For the open-air top deck we looked to iconic Mediterranean beach clubs and presented a palette of red, burnt orange and white. Custom-made lounges are neatly organised around the space and VIP areas stand shadowed by crimson-toned umbrellas and leafy ferns.
Clearly the more party-minded floor, it sports a design geared towards glistening harbour views and leaves enough room for a dancefloor. Aside from the umbrellas, there is little to disturb the head-spinning panorama of Sydney’s icons as the boat makes its way across the harbour.
The middle floor, completely framed in tinted glass panels, shifts the vibe to Miami’s South Beach, inspired by the city’s glamorous pool clubs and beachfront hotel lobbies.
A seven-metre-long custom bar flecked with mint-hued tiles stands as the centrepiece, facing a colourful smattering of lounges and other seating. The raw timber flooring looks like it was lifted from a vintage movie set.
The lower deck of Glass Island is a hidden gem and also Sydney’s very first bar technically underwater!
The unique design of Glass Island’s different levels means it appeals to a broad demographic and guests can change their experience just by moving around the boat.
Design Challenge
Designing a boat brings up numerous challenges by its very nature and the logistics dictated by a floating interior that needs to not only be aesthetically gorgeous but functional and safe.
‘Ballast’ is not normally a word we associate with our design but is something we had to consider on Glass Island. Weight and symmetry were paramount to make sure the boat wasn’t too heavy or one side and tipped!
We needed to consider the combined weight of all furniture, decorative and fixtures to be installed on Glass Island so it fitted into the overall weight allowance for the vessel. The solid concrete benches we used on the top deck were a beautiful (and weighty) indulgence that we counter balanced by using lightweight aluminium for the screens.
Every piece was considered with 4 criteria in mind – aesthetics, weight, functionality and layout placement. The upper and middle deck banquettes are a great example of this as they were specifically designed to be hollow so they could house life jackets.
Weather was also a big consideration in our design and the floor-to-ceiling glass panels on the middle deck are a great innovation for a space where weather can be one of the biggest challenges. They can slide open to usher in the sea breeze, or shut to block out any rain so now if things take a turn for the worst Glass Island can close the top deck and guests can enjoy the other two fully-enclosed floors.
Sustainability
Sustainability is always a key part of our design process and our ethos of Reuse, Restore and Repurpose.
All of the marble used throughout was made from recycled off cuts and the timber shelving was repurposed wood sourced and saved from a local restoration yard.
One of the biggest concerns with a venue that is all glass is keeping it cool – the boat has no air conditioning so air flow was paramount. We surmounted this issue by installing glass panel windows that can be individually
Interior Design - Hospitality - Casual
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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