A hotel set within a working lavender farm will be built in Lilydale in Victoria’s Yarra Valley under plans currently before council.
Designed by Hachem Architects, the $65 million hotel project will also include a boutique facility for infusing lavender into gin.
The scheme calls for two main buildings: a U-shaped hotel building that will sweep from five-storeys at the eastern side of the site to nine-storeys on the west; and the ancillary lavender experience centre, to be constructed over two levels with a lavender “green” roof sloping down to natural ground level so that the building blends in with the surrounding lavender fields.
The hotel would house 196 rooms along with a conference centre, spa, gym, restaurant and bar. Planning documents state that “The hotel design considers the natural gradient to the land through the U-shape and sweeping, fluid form. The form is well balanced and allows for each room to engage with the views on offer within the site and beyond.”
A central courtyard, enveloped by the U-shaped built form, will feature a shallow pool intended to bring a sense of calmness and tranquillity to the site.
The lavender experience centre will include a lounge and retail area as well as an immersive agricultural area where visitors view various elements of the working fields including the areas for lavendar drying and infusion.
The lavender farm would cover approximately 11,000 square metres. Should it be approved, the hotel would be run by the Intercontinental Hotels Group under its Voco brand.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
