Prince of Wales Hotel by Meme Design
St Kilda’s Prince of Wales Hotel has been a Melbourne landmark since 1936, but its current status as a boutique hospitality destination was cemented only two decades ago with an interior transformation by Powell & Glenn Architects. We were excited to be part of this iconic hotel refurbishment in the late 1990s and we’re equally thrilled to have played a role in its latest redesign by working with the wonderful Megan Hounslow and Melanie Beynon from Meme Design.
Meme Design is a Melbourne-based architecture and interior design studio known for their authentic and timeless residential, commercial and hospitality projects. These include the Urban Attitude concept store at Highlight Melbourne, the NGVI Bookshop in the foyer space of the National Gallery of Victoria and Melbourne’s hospitality venue AERIAL. Meme’s redesign of the Prince of Wales is another example of their beautiful and innovative designs.
Our relationship with the Prince of Wales started back in the 1990s. Paul Hecker, of award-winning Melbourne design studio Hecker Guthrie, designed the Prince of Wales’ Circa restaurant late in the decade with architect Allan Powell and collaborated on the design of the hotel’s interiors and guest rooms that included custom wicker pendants by ISM Objects.
The hotel’s new interior by Meme Design shows great respect for the hotel’s original art deco architecture, which was also preserved by Powell & Glenn during the 1990s’ refurbishment. Meme oversaw the design upgrade the Circa bar and dining room in 2011 and its transformation has now extended to its guest rooms
The new design features a softer palette of alternating textures and hues, which reference the hotel’s beachside location. The furniture is a showcase of local and international designs from brands such as HR McCarthy, Jardan and Nood Co while the lighting is designed and handcrafted in Melbourne by our very proud ISM Objects team!
Meme selected our Luxe pendants and Shady floor lamps for the Prince of Wales guest rooms. The Luxe pendants are elegant tubes of polished brass that bring understated luxury to each room. They are available as a full voltage fitting with a G9 LED lamp or low voltage fitting with G4 LED lamp.
Our Shady floor lamps, designed by Daniel Barbera, come from a fun family of lights inspired by a classic spun aluminium shade. The floor lamp has a steel base with matching powder-coated shade – Meme selected a beautiful pale green hue to match the beachside inspiration of the interior.
As a brand passionate about local design, it’s so satisfying to be involved in the design of a local institution like the Prince of Wales Hotel. It has undergone two iconic transformations in the past two decades and we’re proud to have played a role in both of them.
