Photography by Anson Smart
When Australian architecture firm Bates Smart, were designing the recently completed Vibe Hotel, at Canberra Airport, they were inspired by the circular geometry of Walter Burley Griffin’s plan for the city of Canberra, and decided to include similar elements into the hotel’s design.
One of those circular elements, that draws attention to itself and becomes a welcoming focal point, is the fireplace in the hotel’s bar area, which is surrounded by an almost complete circle of banquette seating. Above the fire itself, a black exhaust pipe is hidden within a dramatic sculptural installation of golden metal tubes.
