Prince of Wales Hotel by Meme Design

St Kilda’s Prince of Wales Hotel has been a Melbourne landmark since 1936, but its current status as a boutique hospitality destination was cemented only two decades ago with an interior transformation by Powell & Glenn Architects. We were excited to be part of this iconic hotel refurbishment in the late 1990s and we’re equally thrilled to have played a role in its latest redesign by working with the wonderful Megan Hounslow and Melanie Beynon from Meme Design.

Meme Design is a Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio known for their authentic and timeless residential, commercial and hospitality projects. These include the Urban Attitude concept store at Highlight Melbourne, the NGVI Bookshop in the foyer space of the National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne’s hospitality venue AERIAL. Meme’s redesign of the Prince of Wales is another example of their beautiful and innovative designs.

Our relationship with the Prince of Wales started back in the 1990s. Paul Hecker, of award-winning Melbourne design studio Hecker Guthrie, designed the Prince of Wales’ Circa restaurant late in the decade with architect Allan Powell and collaborated on the design of the hotel’s interiors and guest rooms that included custom wicker pendants by ISM Objects.

The hotel’s new interior by Meme Design shows great respect for the hotel’s original art deco architecture, which was also preserved by Powell & Glenn during the 1990s’ refurbishment. Meme oversaw the design upgrade the Circa bar and dining room in 2011 and its transformation has now extended to its guest rooms

The new design features a softer palette of alternating textures and hues, which reference the hotel’s beachside location. The furniture is a showcase of local and international designs from brands such as HR McCarthy, Jardan and Nood Co while the lighting is designed and handcrafted in Melbourne by our very proud ISM Objects team!

Meme selected our Luxe pendants and Shady floor lamps for the Prince of Wales guest rooms. The Luxe pendants are elegant tubes of polished brass that bring understated luxury to each room. They are available as a full voltage fitting with a G9 LED lamp or low voltage fitting with G4 LED lamp.

Our Shady floor lamps, designed by Daniel Barbera, come from a fun family of lights inspired by a classic spun aluminium shade. The floor lamp has a steel base with matching powder-coated shade – Meme selected a beautiful pale green hue to match the beachside inspiration of the interior.

As a brand passionate about local design, it’s so satisfying to be involved in the design of a local institution like the Prince of Wales Hotel. It has undergone two iconic transformations in the past two decades and we’re proud to have played a role in both of them.

GRAPHO BUBBLE - OUR LATEST INTERACTIVE DESIGN

We seek to create endearing and enduring products designed to bring a space to life, which has been integrated in our latest Grapho Bubble design that appears to have a wonderful life of its own.

Imbued with personality and character, our Grapho Bubble is skilfully handcrafted in our Mentone factory from beautiful Japanese rice paper, which provides the light with an interactive quality, making it an irreverent take on a classic paper ball light.

First launched at Melbourne’s DEN Fair 2017, the Grapho Bubble takes its name from the word meaning ‘to write’ or ‘to sketch’ as custom graphic designs can be added to the pendants during productions.

When illuminated, our Grapho Bubble comes to life in more ways than one. A small fan inside the Grapho Bubble pendant is connected to the sustainable LED light source and inflates the rice paper when switched on. The LED can also be dimmable (upon request) for a variety of ambient settings. The Grapho Bubble inflates in as little as 20 seconds from being switched on and when switched off, the fan stops turning the light and it gently deflates.

The Grapho Bubble is available in a diameter of 600mm and 1500mm.

We invite you to preview the Grapho Bubble’s interactive feature in the video below.

GX & DRUM PENDANTS - OUR ICONIC PENDANTS REIMAGINED

We are passionate in our pursuit to improve our new and existing products, which is why we are delighted to share with you our much loved and reimagined – GX and Drum Pendants.

Designed and made locally with beautiful new textile finishes and the latest energy efficient technology, these iconic pendants are perfect choices for residential and commercial spaces alike.

Our Gx Pendant features a lampshade of soft pleated fabric in a choice of elegant colours, including slate grey, sky blue, black or white, as well as customised colours from a new select palette – subject to suitability.

Available in two sizes, our Gx Pendant offers stainless wire with a clear cable or anodised aluminium rod that is adjustable on installation.

A renewed design has also been applied to our iconic Drum Pendant light, which is now fitted with the latest led technology to cast an ambient, energy efficient glow.

With beauty at the forefront of every design, our Drum pendant is available in a variety of finishes, including fabric and parchments from ISM Objects standard range, or, your choice of fabric or wallpaper.

UGG AT THE AIRPORT BY DOVETAIL DESIGN GROUP

UGG is brand with a distinctly Australian heritage and while its story started with a pair of cozy sheepskin boots back in 1978, the brand now has stores across the globe. One of its latest is located in the Melbourne International Airport was designed by Dovetail Design Group and features our Nudie Pendants!

Dovetail Design Group is a Sydney based interiors, graphic and signage design studio known for creating engaging retail and commercial spaces. Their vision for the new UGG kiosk was for a luxurious, yet unpretentious design using clean and simple lines softened by warm textural finishes. 

“We were engaged to create a retail kiosk with a premium look and feel to complement the high standard of retail spaces in Melbourne International Airport,” says Rose Gates, senior designer at Dovetail.

The store’s design is open and generous in space to provide flexibility in the arrangement of product categories and to allow customers to easily navigate through the various fixtures.

“Each fixture is custom designed and feature glass-fronted panels with internal LED lighting,” says Rose. “Solid timber display cubes are also strategically positioned in the main display cabinet, acting as a tool to highlight promotions and to feature some of UGG’s more select products on offer.”

The design also features integrated ‘lamp posts’, which function as a decorative design element and a device to express opulence.

“Key elements that make the design distinctive include the incorporation of premium finishes that balance welcoming, earthy tones against polished surfaces that are high-end and sophisticated,” says Rose. “Visual and tactile warmth is similarly achieved by contrasting textures, which are appealing to observe and even more desirable to touch. You will discover a combination of juxtapositions within the space including sandblasted wood on honed ceramic tiles to raw steel metal with soft leather upholstery.”

Our Nudie pendants provide another layer of appeal to the design. Crafted in Melbourne from powder-coated or brass-plated wire, their beautifully simple form is inspired by Japanese lanterns. 

Rose says our Nudie pendants are a glowing addition to the UGG store. “As well as providing a sense of luxury within the space, brass accents are an essential part of the overall design scheme,” she says. “The Nudie Pendant was an excellent fit due to its distinctive lightweight wire frame, allowing the sparkle of the light bulb to gleam through. We also like to support local Australian designers and suppliers wherever possible.”

We couldn’t agree more!

DISCOVER THE NUDIE COLLECTION HERE

SPOTLIGHT ON THE 'I CAN DO’ AND ‘CANS’ CEILING COLLECTIONS

‘I Can Do’ and ‘Cans’ collections of ceiling mounted designs cast a beautiful glow in any environment from the top down.

The I Can Do collection, designed exclusively by Keith Melbourne for ISM Objects, is a deceptively simple light with a distinctive architectural form. Crafted from extruded aluminium with a powder-coated finish in a choice of flat black or flat white, the lamp source is a dedicated LED panel with an integrated control gear and a choice of dimming protocol. 

The Cans collection features a classic cylindrical form that is also made from extruded aluminium. Available in two sizes and three heights and feature a powder-coated finish in a choice of flat black or flat white.

The lamp source can be a retrofit LED or a dedicated LED with high output and a choice of integrated dimming protocols. The design can also be custom ordered in other powder coat colours.

The I Can Do and Cans ceiling mounted lights play an essential role in creating the ideal ambience in any space and are two new classics from ISM Objects.

MINI LIVING - INVERT EVENT

The growing population and a shortage of land in our large urban centres is prompting many people to rethink the Great Australian Dream. Rather than a large home on a quarter acre block, architects are rising to the challenge to help more people live big in small spaces.

The potential of a modest, unconventional plot at the rear of Melbourne’s 200 Collins Street was recently put to the test as part of the MINI LIVING – INVERT event.  A collaboration between Green magazine, MINI and City of Melbourne, the event focused on the importance of sustainable, small-scale architecture.

A challenge was put to 13 leading and emerging architects from Australia and New Zealand to submit plans and a 1:20 scale model to demonstrate how the 6 x 10 metre site could accommodate a sustainable home for a young family of four.

The architects presented their designs during a 5-day exhibition in October, which was held in a glass house erected on the Collin’s Street site. We were thrilled to be part of the event by supplying our Luxe Pendants in white. Just like the site itself, they were modest in size to complement the glasshouse and their simple white colour created a beautiful contrast to the lush greenery that surrounded the exhibits.

We were so impressed with the way each architect developed a unique, creative response to the brief. The only essential ingredient was that the designs must also include some kind of garden vegetation.

Austin Maynard Architects designed a multi-generational space that could adapt as a family grows. Made from a series of pre-fabricated modules, the home could expand with new additions to the family and contract for empty nesters.

Wolveridge Architects’ design also caught our eye. They drew on research into vertical living in Japan and Vietnam and managed to evoke the quarter-acre-block experience within a high-density context by maximising volume, light and passive solar shading.

It was inspiring to see the small-scale design possibilities presented at the MINI LIVING – INVERT event. It proved that the challenge of high-density city living can be solved through clever, sustainable design.

THE GEORGE ON COLLINS BY HECKER GUTHRIE

The Georges building is a Melbourne institution that has long graced Collins Street.  It has undergone a number of renovations over the years and, thanks to multi-disciplinary design practice Hecker Guthrie, its basement has now been transformed into the sophisticated bar and restaurant ­­ The George on Collins. We were thrilled to be part of the project!

Hecker Guthrie has created an interior that pays homage to the iconic building’s past as one of Melbourne’s finest shopping destinations.

“Georges traditionally represented an honest and refined sensibility, from the architecture of the building, to its discerning clientele. Patrons today still crave all of the style and service it has inherently always possessed, and The George on Collins will deliver this and more,” Hecker Guthrie states.

ISM Objects was engaged to custom manufacture the lighting for this beautiful new space, which helps set the mood for a memorable dining experience.

Stripping back the layers and gutting the entire basement space revealed the original architecture of the former department store. Hecker Guthrie “employ a refined simplicity, juxtaposing the monastic purity of the overall architectural forms, with a landscape of bespoke joinery and furniture,” they explain. “It is intelligently transformed to allow for impeccable hospitality and service from both the bar and the kitchen.”

The space is cleverly divided into several sections that cater to breakfast, lunch, dinner and late-night drinks. Dining table booths and luxurious couches nestle into brick alcoves, with heavy curtains to draw for privacy. Rows of stools line the wooden bar encouraging conversation and appreciation of the array for drinks to select from. The timber floors are warm and understated, providing an atmosphere of subdued elegance and uncompromising style.

Newly transformed, this space in the Georges building is continuing to make its mark on Melbourne’s CBD. In its latest incarnation as The George on Collins, its legend will certainly live on.

Images courtesy of The New Work Project. Photography by Will Ellis & sketches by Paul Tuller.
 

MELBOURNE FRINGE FESTIVAL 2017

The Melbourne Fringe Festival has been lighting up our fine city for more than three decades and we’ve been a proud sponsor of one of its key events – Fringe Furniture – for a number of years. It’s always inspiring to see such brilliant and unexpected ideas in industrial design come to life.

Melbourne Fringe is the longest-running multi-arts festival in Victoria and, going by the success of this year’s festival, it will continue to endure. It features thousands of artists from every imaginable discipline performing across 160 venues to an audience of more than 350,000 people.

This year, there were talking see-saws in Federation Square, hilarious cabaret and comedy shows and incredible contemporary dance performances that all proved why Melbourne is the much-deserved arts capital of the country.

Of course, it was Fringe Furniture that captured our greatest attention. Held at the Abbotsford Convent, it included lighting, furniture, homewares and industrial designs. We always encourage young designers to submit their work for the exhibition.

As sponsors, we presented the ISM Objects Award for Lighting Innovation. The award went to John Budd for his beautiful glass Lucienne Vessels.

Photography by Theresa Harrison

We were also big fans of the CMYK Chair by Morgan Doty, which received the award for Best Student Design, and the Narrow-Minded Bookshelf by Edie Kurzer, which took out the Production Ready Award.

Melbourne Fringe Festival is always a highlight of our year. It was inspiring to be part of it again this year and to see so many exceptional designs on show. And congratulations again to John Budd for his award-winning Lucienne Vessels!