David Flack workered with a watercolour artist during the concept design phase for Ace Hotel Sydney. This amazing sketch shows the reception and retail space, located at the entrance of the hotel.
Concept design waterolour sketch of the lobby bar and sunken lounge area at Ace Hotel Sydney. How incredible is this? The analogue nature of the sketch is so captivating.


Another view of the sunken lounge area. Looking at these images, one could assume these were created much later in the project, i.e. after the documentation was completed, or perhaps even after the hotel was built, as the similarities between these sketches and the finished space is uncanny, down to the most minute detail. The outcome really speaks to Flack’s approach that’s all about “going hard” during the concept design phase, and the strengh of his incredible vision from the very outset of the project.


Sydney just got its very own
Drawing inspiration from architect
Both in life and in his writing, Boyd advocated passionately for a national architecture forged from a genuine Australian identity—a value just as omnipresent today as when he first wrote it half a century ago. In this vein, the paintings of Indigenous Australian artist Albert Namatjira was one such influence on the design team. As the interior unfolds his water-coloured landscapes are realised throughout the space, from the ochre-red marble staircase stretching from the lobby to level one to the burnt orange and tan sunken lounge in the bar.


Water colour concept sketch for one of the Guest Rooms at Ace Hotel Sydney.


The art collection assembled by Flack Studio is equally as evocative — a group of artists carefully selected for their shared renegade spirit, with works brash, playful and no-holds-barred. The permanent art program — featuring pieces by
In true Flack fashion an explosion of pigment and texture define the interiors. As Founder and Principal, David Flack expresses: “We delight in architecture and interior projects in which furniture, lighting, textiles, and fittings coalesce into a holistic—if sometimes idiosyncratic—experience.”
Watercolour concept sketch of the stair leading from the ground floor up to the function spaces located on L1.
Watercolour concept sketch for the hotel restaurant, aka LOAM Surry Hills. If you look closely enough, that’s David sitting at the table with some of the Ace project team.
Watercolour concept sketch for the Lobby Lounge area with a view to the Library.
Not just a hotel but a neighbourhood place, the former Kiln building boasts a number of new venues to bring in the locals. On the ground floor LOAM acts as a natural extension of the lobby, anchoring the space along with cafe and bar Good Chemistry—plus if you needed any more reason to take a look there’s a cocktail bar smackdab in the hotel’s lobby.
Upstairs will be KILN, a rooftop bar designed by
Celebrating our city’s vibrant cultural milieu, the Ace Hotel Sydney opens with an invitation to all. Come see for yourself in the sunken lobby lounge, where everything happens and everyone’s a part of it.
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