Traditional Sandstone, Contemporary Design

Sydney’s Hilton Hotel reopened in 2005 to architectural acclaim with an inspirational design by renowned architects Johnson Pilton Walker. Paul van Ratingen, one of the project directors, explains that “the rebuilt Hilton Hotel totally transforms the outdated and introverted original building into an exciting high quality integrated mixed use development.” A simple palette of granite, sandstone and glass reinforce the contemporary architecture developed in sympathy with the grain, scale, texture and materials of the historic Town Hall and QVB precinct. The granite street paving extends through the development as a sequence of vibrant, civic scale, naturally lit, publicly accessible spaces that reconnect the hotel into the city.

Along the two street frontages, randomly spaced elliptical columns rise 23 metres above the footpath to form an immense screen that sustains the street alignment, opens broad vistas from within and clear pedestrian openings at ground level. Piles Creek sandstone and Verde Austral granite were deliberately selected and crafted to visually connect with the opulence of the sandstone heritage Queen Victoria Building.

The sandstone was supplied by Gosford Quarries from their Piles Creek quarry at Somersby, NSW. Sandstone from Piles Creek has been quarried and sought after for nearly 50 years because of the oxidising characteristic of the deposit. Its ‘cream’ range is lightly oxidising, while ‘guinea gold’ is similar to the oxidising sandstones of the Sydney ‘Yellow Block’ region.

Established in 1922, Gosford Quarries is the name synonymous with sandstone in Australia. They are widely recognised for their expertise in all areas of quarrying, processing and installation of natural sandstone. The company owns and operates seven quarries with an annual output exceeding 8000m3 per year with reserves in excess of 200 000m3.

Over many years, the sandstones from Gosford Quarries have been specified by the architects from Johnson Pilton Walker (formerly DCM). Many landmark buildings in Sydney and Canberra demonstrate the use of sandstone creatively, in contemporary, award winning design.