Between Harry Seidler’s “modernist mushroom” and the original tower at 25 Martin Place, The International brings three venues to Sydney’s CBD. Its Wine Bar, Grill, and Panorama Bar draw on the precinct’s 1970s modernism, a fitting backdrop to the playful Swing and Volley collections.
Swing Chair with Armrests , Volley Barstool , Volley Chair , Volley Lounger
Hospitality
Woods Bagot
Jonny Valiant
The International is a multilevel dining destination by standout hospitality operator The Point, which sits within the horseshoe-shaped addition looping through the central plaza of the heritage-listed MLC Centre by Seidler & Associates. The 3 distinct dining experiences designed by Woods Bagot lean into Seidler’s 1970s modernist mood throughout the curvaceous Wine Bar, Manhattan-inspired The Grill, and vibrant Panorama Bar, with stone, stainless steel, primary colour pops and an evolving finishes palette that shifts from matte to high-gloss.
This concept, a hierarchy of finishes, also maps a range of dining experiences. It starts with the Wine Bar, a relaxed setting for light snacks and meals featuring matte crazy-paver stone flooring. One level up at The Grill, stone flooring appears again, this time in a refined diagonal parquetry. Fine dining here is translated into the surroundings through white linen and mirror-polished stainless steel columns. “Everything is high gloss,” says Marygrace Templo, Senior Associate at Woods Bagot. “It’s about Art Deco, reflection and glamour.” The Panorama Bar relaxes again as a social rooftop, perfect for a quick bite, a long lunch or a celebration. The selected Tait pieces follow the same hierarchy. Swing Chairs in Surfmist keep the Wine Bar pared back and matte, while electropolished Swing Chairs pick up The Grill’s mirrored surfaces. And at the Panorama Bar, Volley Chairs take their cue from the piazza’s canary yellow and Charles Perry’s steel ‘S’ sculpture amongst the mature landscaping the client knew would contribute to the rooftop’s success.
Explore Swing
Time was the defining constraint, with a tight programme required to get the venues operational in time for a major event. With just 5 months from pen to construction handover, it was critical to get quotes, samples and orders delivered at speed. The client was heavily involved in the furniture selection, with Anna Hewitt, The Point’s interior design director and co-owner, ‘very much a creative in her own respect; she loves fashion, loves interior design’ says Marygrace. This hands-on approach transformed the project into a highly collaborative process that helped to deliver the high-impact vision in record time, with Anna set on the Tait product from the get-go. ‘It was a direct request and endorsement,’ says Marygrace, which was then backed by calm and responsive service that helped to manage pressure throughout design changes and furniture delivery across the levels of the project. The range of matte to highly reflective finishes ‘fit the brief, and it also fit into the programme, which was critical for us. It corresponded to what we were aiming for, it hit the budget, and the proactive service really helped us get through the rollercoaster of the delivery.’
Explore Volley
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