Ace Hotel Sydney

Drawing inspiration from architect Robin Boyd’s paradigm-shifting book, The Australian Ugliness, the paintings of Indigenous Australian artist Albert Namatjira and the building site’s legacy of pottery and ceramic creation, Flack Studio have conjured a hotel that’s a deep homage to Australia — from the ochre-red marble staircase stretching from the lobby to level one, echoing the desert palette; to the burnt orange and tan sunken lounge on the ground floor, reminiscent of the easygoing design favoured in the Australian suburbs in the 1970s; to the abundant greenery recalling the natural beauty of the vast country outside. The art collection assembled is equally as evocative — a group of artists brought together for their shared renegade spirit, with works brash, playful and no-holds-barred. The permanent art program curated by Flack Studio — featuring pieces by Tony Albert, Sydney Ball, Glenn Barkley, Karen Black, Barbara Cleveland, Scott Duncan, Julia Gutman, Nadia Hernandez, Joanna Lamb, James Lemon, Michael Linderman, Laith McGregor, Sanné Mestrom, Nell, Nabilah Nordin, Jahnne Pasco-White, Ramesh Mario Nithiyendran, Ben Mazey, Kenya Peterson, Jason Phu, Valerie Restarick and Justene Williams.

This article originally appeared in flackstudio.com.au