Carlton City Hotel is an international four-star business hotel situated on a tight urban site. It’s North-South orientation distances it from neighbouring towers, allowing itself to stand resplendent amidst more conventional tower blocks. While its 29-storey tall profile enables it to resonate within the context of the business district, the podium is programmed and articulated to respond to pedestrian flows. The Hotel stands a part apart from its neighbours, marking a dignified and solemn presence overlooking its surroundings.

The form expresses interlocking between two elements – the tower and the podium. The contrast between the two is expressed through their volume and articulation. The tower is made distinctly vertical and ‘light’ through the use of fins and dark glass. The granite-clad podium is expressed as horizontal and ‘solid’, forming the base onto which the tower is interlocked. The podium’s vibrant material expression and detailing responds to the human scale and resonate well with the context. Volumetrically, the tower does not touch the ground but hovers above the podium, accentuating its lightness.

With its professional and sleek façade, this contemporary business hotel is an exemplar of DPA’s design principles in crafting architecture sensitized to the end-user experience, elevating the experiential element to new heights.