An old Malaysian Club on Pitt St has been transformed by design firm pmdl into a stylish and elegant bar, restaurant and lounge.
Mr B’s Hotel, Iima’s Restaurant and Tau Ultra Lounge cross two levels, directly opposite World Square in the heart of Sydney’s CBD.
At ground level, Mr B’s Hotel is about class and utility. A full marble bar is juxtaposed with the building’s exposed painted pillars and pressed metal ceilings. Large iron chandeliers illuminate the light timbers of the tables and bar stools, with lounges hidden beneath staircases and alcohol stored uniformly behind oriental-patterned glass.
On the renovations, Josh Smith of Mr B’s Hotel says the Bar has a “high sense of finish.”
“The parquetry timber and the marble give it a sense of richness but it’s still usable,” he says.
A mezzanine level offers a sense of opulence and exclusivity; high-backed padded leather chairs, deep red leather benches, dark timber flooring and parquetry walls allow patrons to relax in a more sophisticated atmosphere.
Behind the bar lies the restaurant, a very restrained eatery with eastern-flavoured timber furnishings. While in Tau Ultra Lounge downstairs, lights that change through red, green and blue, border three gold dragons hanging from the ceilings.
The lounge borrows elements of the original building’s décor; lions on the edge of the bar once guarded the front doors and black screens from the upstairs kitchen are now used to define private spaces.
Mr B’s Bar is open from 10am-4am daily. Tau Ultra Lounge is open from Thursday to Saturday from 10pm-4am.
Mr B’s Hotel
mrbshotel.com.au
pmdl architects
pmdl.com.au