Woods Bagot took an unusual brief and turned it into a revolutionary build for Fitzroy hotel StandardX

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21 February 2024

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4 min read

StandardX is a younger, more soulful, community-driven space for the modern-day holidaygoer.
StandardX is a younger, more soulful, community-driven space for the modern-day holidaygoer.
Born from the desire for an eclectic, low-key accommodation hub, StandardX Hotel in bohemian Fitzroy takes inspiration from its older, internationally renowned sibling to reveal a space that's entirely unique to its local environment.
Guests can look forward to a laid-back oasis designed for the pulse of the ‘rough-and-ready’ traveller, a place where refinement sheds its formality to embrace the essence of Fitzroy's rebellious appeal.
"We wanted the materiality to appear endemic to its local context and speak to the light-industrial heritage of the area."
"It's targeting the short-stay, experiential traveller who seeks to immerse themselves in the culture and rhythm of one of Melbourne's most iconic suburbs."
The brief specified ‘soft industrialism, youthful eclecticism with a sophisticated palette of materials’.
The Corten steel exterior is designed to deliberately build up a rust-coloured texture.
The exterior alludes to the idea that the building has always existed in this space, steeped in the fabric of yesteryear.
Its sturdy, stacked form and weathering steel facade echo the area's industrial roots.
StandardX trades large open areas for a more intimate look at hotel living, more ‘living like a local’.
Much like the punched windows that mirror the surrounding buildings, StandardX is more than just a temporary brick-and-mortar home.
The hotel is a nod to the quintessentially Australian pubs that are silent witnesses to the suburb’s colourful past.
The site itself is relatively small for a hotel of this magnitude and required agile thinking in order to fit all the usual hotel amenities.
"It's a building that's entirely of its place."