A palette of languid, lake-like colours informed pmdl’s design concept for the recent refurbishment of the Macquarie Graduate School of Management (MGSM) Hotel in North Ryde, Sydney. Dark, glassy greens and sheets of slate grey create a segue between the interior and the tranquil lake-side setting of the forty-room hotel. Simon Fallon, senior associate at PMDL. who undertook the interior refit of the original Cox Richardson designed hotel, said, "The most exciting aspect of the scheme was its extraordinary situation in the midst of a landscape reminiscent of (renowned eighteenth -century English landscape architect) Lancelot "Capability" Brown. but filled with contemporary sculptures."
The hotel pavilions or bungalows are verandahed to take in the sculpture park. the lake and its environs, originally laid out by Context landscape architects. Fallon says. The curatorial department at the university. headed up by Rhonda Davis. began collecting contemporary sculpture many years ago. The sculptures and the almost English garden plan are juxtaposed to the native plantings."
All these elements provided the cues for PMDL’s approach to the interiors.
"Once the palette was determined to provide a seamless transition from interior to exterior. the other features just fell into place." Fallon says.

News  |  In The Press, 26/11/2010