Four projects by the global architecture practice have been shortlisted at the Inside World Festival of Interiors, which will be held in Singapore from 29 November to 1 December this year as a sister event to the World Architecture Festival.

Hotels and workplaces by Woods Bagot have received recognition – InterContinental Sydney, The Continental Sorrento, London’s Convene at 22 Bishopsgate, and the new M&C Saatchi Group headquarters in Sydney. 

Woods Bagot – and the other shortlisted studios – are tasked with presenting nominated projects to a live jury at Marina Bay Sands to help better inform the award allocation process. 

InterContinental Sydney

The practice dramatically reimagined the five-star InterContinental Sydney through redesigning guest rooms, public areas, hospitality and bar venues. 

The project engaged with aspects of adaptive re-use by incorporating the existing  three-level Treasury Building, dated from 1851, and a 32-level tower constructed in 1985, into the redesign. 

Woods Bagot capitalised on the palette of colours, textures and iconic geometries provided by the heritage buildings in honouring Sydney’s subtropical climate through cool-toned hues and tones.

The Continental Sorrento

A hotel completed by Woods Bagot in Sorrento, Victoria, also received a shortlisting. 

The Continental Sorrento, affectionately dubbed as the ‘Conti’, is an ode to Victorian coastal fun. This project also prioritised sustainable design practices, working around the existing heritage hotel from 1875, a ballroom and an add-on from the 1930s. 

Fine dining and more relaxed fit outs for restaurateurs Craig Shearer and Scott Pickett complement the retained heritage buildings, exemplifying the design’s pursuit towards fusing heartwarming nostalgia with contemporary glamour. 

Convene at 22 Bishopsgate, London 

Woods Bagot designed the interiors for Convene’s only workspace outside the United States at 22 Bishopsgate, London. 

Guided by the theme of ‘modern livery’, the design combines elements of traditional architecture with the design language of Bishopsgate and the aesthetic of contemporary street artist Ben Eine.

22 Bishopsgate effectively merges the old and the new, and the raw and the ornate, to offer creators and innovators a sophisticated event space. 

M&C Saatchi Group Sydney headquarters

Already heralded as the “ultimate post-pandemic office refit”, Woods Bagot appropriated three floors of Transport House, an art deco building from 1938, into a new headquarters for M & C Saatchi Group.

Two new internal staircases were constructed to cater towards the company’s main goal of improved flow and connectivity between workspaces, while also ensuring there are areas for solitary work and quieter meetings.

“It’s a story of origins, modernity and a celebration of character,” says Woods Bagot project leader Jordan Schumacher.

Featured Image: InterContinental Sydney

Photography supplied by Woods Bagot. 

Check out the four architecture projects by Woods Bagot shortlisted at the World Architecture Festival awards.