Lead Interior Design Role in $90M 5-star Papua New Guinea Project for NZ Company
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A large luxury hotel development in Papua New Guinea is illustrating the value to New Zealand companies of exporting services and aligning their work with that of counterparts in other Pacific nations. On its completion in November 2011, the five-star Grand Papua Hotel in Port Moresby will stand as a premier example of this focused international collaboration: leading specialist design company Space Studio worked alongside the architect Cullen Feng Architects of Sydney designing the interiors of the hotel and delivering the interior materials to PNG.
Space Studio also leveraged its relationship with a similarly internationally-capable New Zealand-based firm, Fletcher Construction, with which it worked on another hotel development four years ago.
Space Studio director Vee Kessner (nee Smit) says, “We were introduced to the PNG project by Fletchers, and I think our collaboration demonstrates the opportunity for New Zealand firms to be more active in helping one another get a foothold in these markets. The need for our skills exists – it is simply a matter of the opportunity and the capacity. Our firms can do a lot for one another in terms of networking, endorsing New Zealand consultants and keeping an ear to the ground in their own sectors and related ones.
“In our case, projects such as this require us to collaborate fully with our Australian counterparts, and the quality of our performance dictates how our business develops from there.”
On the back of the $90 million Grand Papua Hotel project’s success, Space Studio has been appointed to six more projects with the same client in PNG, ranging from small refurbishments of existing hotels to extensions of existing ones. This has given Space Studio and Space Procurement a reasonable footing in Papua New Guinea.
On average, one major project of the size and scale of the Grand Papua Hotel is commissioned in the Pacific Rim each year. These projects typically take four to six years to complete, which presents both challenges (fluctuating foreign exchange rates, complicated shipping arrangements) and fortuitous opportunities for business development for the globally-minded.
The Grand Papua Hotel comprises 156 suites, four executive suites, an executive club, spa, gym, brasserie restaurant, bar, private club, retail services, and conference facilities for 300.
The brief to Space Studio was for a contemporary colonial approach that showcased the history of Papua New Guinea and referenced the colourful, rich heritage of the indigenous people. The concept was a five-star hotel catering to a business clientele, and the scope of service for Space Studio involved a full planning review of the building planning and the coordination of this into the architectural drawings to ensure the facilities supported the 156-suite hotel.
Space Studio developed detailing of all areas for incorporation into the architectural drawings, and undertook extensive research to ensure thorough knowledge and understanding of the heritage and custom aspects to be included in the project. Members of the Space Studio and Space Procurement teams have been on-site throughout the development process. (Space Procurement is responsible for the order, manufacture, shipment and placement of the full inventory.)
Fact Sheet
Grand Papua Hotel, Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea
• Value of materials (including items such as sanitary ware, tiles, lighting etc) exported from New Zealand suppliers = NZ$2.3 million
• Value of FF&E exported from New Zealand suppliers = NZ$2.6 million
• Total value of FF&E (furniture, fixtures and equipment) and HOE (hotel operating equipment) for guest rooms = NZ$9 million
• Total value of FF&E and HOE for common areas, restaurants, executive club, gym and spa – NZ$5.015 million
• $350,000 in electrical goods have been sourced from supplier in PNG
• Exported goods from China (to date) include:
o 12 ½ x 40’ containers including kitchenware/sinks, case goods, sofas, chairs and fabric to the value of NZ$1.2 million
o 1 x 40’ container of outdoor furniture to the value of NZ$30,000
o 5 x 20’ containers of tiles to the value of NZ$98,000
o NZ$1.2 million of containers and part containers have been dispatched from China and New Zealand to Papua New Guinea almost monthly since July 2009;
o Unlike major centres and regions, the logistics of supply to Papua New Guinea are challenging – requiring critical procurement planning and a thorough knowledge of shipping and logistics.
Specific design by Space Studio included:
• Review of the current layouts and recommendations on swapping the bar location with the restaurant, allowing for a smooth flow between pool and restaurant and increased seating areas;
• This also created a beautiful space for a private bar adjacent to the main bar (dark and colonial in design), and offered the flexibility in addition to change it to a private club for functions and cocktails as needed;
• The main bar has dark timber panelling on walls with recessed artefact glass cabinets displaying the local art and complementing lighting within the high ceiling space;
• Suites were reviewed, keeping in mind the colonial theme and making a connection with Papua New Guinea, with colonial-style loose furniture pieces for the wardrobes and consoles;
• A white backdrop has been maintained throughout, in keeping with the building exterior and the colonial design approach. Enhancing this is the acid-yellow and red ochre palette with dark timber found through PNG architecture, art and artefacts.
• An executive club and four executive suites at levels 14 and 15 command sweeping views of the harbours surrounding Port Moresby. These are all fitted out to an exacting standard, inclusive of natural stone floors and luxurious finishes throughout.