Alexander & CO | 悉尼帝國酒店—華麗的複活-設計風向

帝國酒店是悉尼同性戀夜生活的標誌性場所，也是澳大利亞最受尊敬的LGBTQI避風港之一，它於2015年結束營業後又重新開張。當消息傳出悉尼帝國酒店將於今年重新開業時，整個社區欣喜若狂。要了解這家深受同性戀喜愛的同性戀場所的標誌性地位，請記住，1994年澳大利亞邪典電影《沙漠女王普裏西拉的曆險》(The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert)的開場場景就是在這裏拍攝的。考慮到場館不加掩飾的華麗和具有的傳奇曆史故事，當地設計事務所Alexander & CO對建築的翻新既是對其遺產的頌揚，也是對其建築特色的重塑，正如Alexander & CO設計事務所所說的那樣：這是對劇院過去的戲劇風格和享樂主義的重新利用，改造成了一座失落卻美麗的宮殿。

The gay community loves a comeback, a second act so to speak that embodies the liberating power of reinventing oneself. So when news spread that The Imperial Hotel in Sydney, an iconic venue in the city’s gay nightlife and one of Australia’s most revered LGBTQI safe havens, was going to be re-launched this year after closing down in 2015 the community was ecstatic. To appreciate the iconic status of this much loved queer pub, keep in mind that the opening scene of the 1994 cult Australian film ‘The Adventures of Priscilla Queen of the Desert’ was filmed here. Taking into account the venue’s storied past of unabashed flamboyance and unconditional inclusivity, local design practice Alexander & CO’s renovation is both a celebration of its legacy and a reinvention of its character. As Jeremy Bull, Alexander & CO’s Principal explains, “it’s a reclamation of the venue’s past theatre and hedonism reformed into something beautiful, a lost palace”.

Erskineville是悉尼市中心附近的一個社區，當地人親切地稱它為Erko。如今，它被命名為Imperial Erskineville，經過了從上到下徹底的改造，完美的混搭了不同風格、顏色和圖案。這是對美學和視覺衝擊的大膽表述，完美地體現了其多樣性和開放性的價值。在酒店內，我們也可以看到其千變萬化的設計：在一樓的Priscillas酒吧（這家酒吧的名字取自上述電影）將以素食為主的菜單與夜間的變裝秀結合在一起；二樓是露天披薩店，旁邊是雞尾酒餐館，地下室是舞蹈俱樂部，定期舉辦來自悉尼最好的酷兒團體的派對。

Occupying a prominent corner location in Erskineville, an inner city Sydney neighbourhood that locals affectionately call Erko, The Imperial Erskineville, as it’s now branded, has been thoroughly revamped from top to bottom in an eclectic medley of decorative styles, colours and motifs. It’s a bold statement of aesthetic pizzazz and visual delirium that perfectly embodies the values of diversity and openness. The same kaleidoscopic variety can be seen in the venue’s offerings: on the ground floor ‘Priscillas’, a pub-bistro that takes its name from the aforementioned movie, marries a vegetarian-centric menu with nightly drag shows; on the upper floor an open-air pizzeria is accompanied by a cocktail lounge, while a dance club in the basement hosts regular parties from some of Sydney’s best queer collectives.

擁有250個座位的Priscillas餐廳將內陸酒吧的神秘氛圍與雜耍劇院的滑稽結合在一起，通過看似對立的美學進行和諧的融合，從內心喚起設計師對失落宮殿的概念。石材地磚、飽經風霜的實木地板和裸露的磚牆，巧妙地與大理石、天鵝絨和皮革表麵交織在一起，輔以華麗的裝飾、褶邊和流蘇；生動的粉色和洋紅色彩大膽地與空間中粗糙紋理的自然色調結合在一起。在主用餐區，手工鋪設的石砌拱門和定製的瓷磚圖案與酒吧區西斯廷教堂天花板的同性戀壁畫結合，而在私人用餐區，則懸掛著紙雕塑。整個一樓展示了各種不同用途的燈罩、複古吊燈、黃銅壁龕和流蘇吊墜，當你步入一樓時你就會迷戀上這個空間。

Combining the mysterious ambience of an outback saloon with the zany gaudiness of a vaudeville theatre, the 250-seat restaurant Priscillas viscerally conjures the designers’ concept of a ‘lost palace’ through the harmonious convergence of seemingly contrasting aesthetics. Stone floor tiles, weathered hardwood flooring and exposed brickwork are masterfully interlaced with marble, velvet and leather surfaces and enriched by ornate trimmings, ruffles and tassels, while a vivid colour palette of pinks and magentas is boldly combined with natural hues and rough textures.Hand laid masonry arches and bespoke tile patterns in the main dining space are cheekily juxtaposed with a gay version of the Sistine Chapel’s ceiling fresco in the bar area and a suspended paper sculpture in the private dining room. Various repurposed lamp shades, vintage chandeliers, brass wall sconces and fringed pendants showcased throughout the ground floor further enhance the sensation that you’ve just stepped into a wondrous place lost in time.

Priscillas餐廳裝飾性的折衷主義也體現在它的烹飪產品中，包括一個以素食為主的晚餐菜單,由集團行政主廚Dave Clarke製作。餐廳每周七晚都有變裝表演，午餐菜單上有漢堡和酒吧經典菜品，還有一個酸橘汁醃魚，客人可以在這裏吃到用木炭烹製出的醃製鮮魚和烤肉。不用說，還有一種以drag queens命名的豪華雞尾酒可供選擇，這些雞尾酒在酒吧的主要區域供應，旁邊的溫室和庭院則取代了原來的舞台。

Priscillas’ decorative eclecticism is also reflected in its culinary offerings that include a ‘Drag ‘n’ Dine’ dinner menu of mostly vegetarian & vegan dishes by Group Executive Chef Dave Clarke, accompanied by drag shows seven nights a week, a lunch menu of burgers and pub classics, and a ceviche bar where guests can nibble on marinated fresh fish and grilled meats prepared over wood or coals. Needless to say, there is also a sumptuous selection of cocktails named after infamous drag queens, which are served both in the main bar area as well as the adjoining glasshouse and courtyard that have replaced the original stage.

在樓上，一個雞尾酒酒廊和一個露天平台有提供休閑的意大利美食，空間環境靈感來自中世紀Miami Art Deco藝術，Pop藝術，Studio 54, 和80年代孟菲斯的後現代主義。從曆史上看，上層是drag queens的更衣室，所以室內裝飾的華麗風格是向過去輝煌曆史的致敬。

Upstairs, a cocktail lounge and an open-air terrace serving casual Italian cuisine comprise Imperial UP, a stylized environment inspired by mid-century Miami Art Deco, Pop Art, the glamour of Studio 54, and the post-modernist maximalism of the 1980s Memphis Group. Historically the upper level was where the drag queens’ dressing rooms were so the exuberant flair of the interior décor is a fitting homage to its sequin-laced past.

作為一個藝術社交俱樂部，雞尾酒吧被陽光下泛白的粉色包圍，配以芥末和勃艮第紅酒，牆壁和地毯上有著滑稽的幾何圖案，還有一些古怪的複古收藏品，比如黃銅棕櫚樹控製台、立體台燈和十字繡織物椅。代表這次烏托邦狂歡節的是一個被塗上金色的“金色女士”圖標，它站在棱角分明的酒吧台上，酒吧台采用彩色層壓板和鉻合金組合而成。

Conceived as an ‘Arts Social Club’, the cocktail lounge is enveloped in sun bleached pinks jazzed up by mustards and burgundy, zany geometric shapes stretching across the walls and carpet, and quirky retro collectibles such as a brass palm tree console, cubist table lamps and cross-stitched fabric bucket chairs. Overseeing this Mardi Gras utopia, is the ‘Golden Lady’, an icon repurposed from the lower floor and re-lacquered in gold, triumphantly standing atop the angular bar which is sleekly finished in coloured laminate and chrome.

外麵的露台也在延續著流行藝術的氛圍，這裏的焦點不是一座金像，而是飲食店中閃閃發光的金色披薩烤箱，這是一個大膽的設計。澳大利亞首個同性婚姻教堂將於2019年在屋頂開放，同性婚姻於2017年12月在該國合法化。可以肯定的是，帝國酒店再次走進了澳大利亞酷兒群體的心中。

The same pop art-infused ambiance continues in the terrace outside where in lieu of a golden statue the focal point is the trattoria’s glittering golden pizza oven, a bold gesture akin to the fiercest drag queen sashaying onto the stage. With Australia’s first same sex marriage Cathedral due to open on the rooftop in 2019—same-sex marriage was legalized in the country in December 2017—it’s safe to say that The Imperial has once again found its way into the hearts and minds of Australia’s queer community.