Staying at the newly opened Ace Hotel Sydney comes with many perks, and its rooftop restaurant Kiln takes expertly care of the culinary ones with a setting that seamlessly matches with the hotel’s artsy-cool settings. Designed by Melbourne-based architecture and design practice Fiona Lynch Office, the dining establishment’s name pays tribute to the history buried beneath the building which was once the site of convict potter Jonathan Leak’s very own kiln. Unsurprisingly, the design codes obviously tap into the location’s legacy, featuring predominantly locally sourced raw materials, including Australian stone on the bar and floors sourced from regional quarries and a variety of Australian timbers, to lend the settings a distinct Down Under feel. In a first, an alchemically nuanced, custom ombré finish brass sprayed onto aluminium was commissioned by Melbourne-based lighting designer Volker Haug to wrap a central utility room.
The eye for detail has been extended to all the textiles used—they’re all custom-designed in collaboration with Spacecraft Studio. The main bar has been finished by hand in natural brass and is highlighted by stone, chrome, and aluminium elements. Banquettes and leather-topped tables line the lounge, all the way to a private dining room. Kiln seats a total of 108 guests, spread across two dining areas, two bars, a lounge and two terrace dining areas with a retractable roof. The menu, supervised by chef Mitch Orr, is rooted in contemporary Australian cuisine, albeit one with an Italian touch and ample nods to the myriad of rich flavours of both Japan and Southeast Asia. Kiln is focused on high-quality regional produce, meats and seafood, and showcases an innovative yet unpretentious approach to cooking.
Kiln
Ace Hotel, 53 Foy Lane, 18th Floor (Surry Hills)
Sydney, NSW 2000
Tue-Sat 5.30pm-late
Publishers Note
Just to be clear – superfuture® is a design blog and not a political commentator. No surprise there. The scope of our content has always been global and borderless, however that can often mean covering projects in countries where we will not agree with the politics or actions of those countries. In a world that’s as screwed up as ever right now, the focus of our support is to those designers, architects and other creatives who aim to make the world a more liveable one – as opposed to people that try their hardest to destroy it. So if a project hits our desk and we like it based on its design credentials, we may choose to publish regardless of its location or creators nationality. superfuture® has always been inclusive and hopes for all current wars, aggression, violence, hate and extremism to end.
