Home Away From Home: The Calile is fast becoming the social heart of a growing Brisbane

The Calile Hotel is fast becoming the social heart of a growing Brisbane – occupying the space between a corporate hotel and a local’s “staycation” urban resort.

The aesthetics of minimalism, art deco curves, and soft, muted colours embody a Palm Springs style that leaves a distinct impression on the Brisbane skyline.

The architects, Ingrid Richards and Adrian Spence from Richards & Spence, have invented their own visual language for The Calile: “Gentle brutalism.”

“We worked from the premise that minimalism can be refreshing when it remains humanised. The Calile has areas of severity; however, this reticence is balanced with areas of intense detail, always with the patron in mind.”

The architects designed The Calile’s layout with the mantra “As much as necessary, as little as possible”, including touches like the space to open two suitcases at once, facade operability to allow a break from airconditioning, and tables suitable for meals or work.

Brisbane’s subtropical climate also plays into the kitschy-glamourous style, which invokes a Californian or Moroccan atmosphere.

The centrally located swimming pool, visible from every room, adds to the Chateau Marmont vibe, as do the abundance of plants.

Richards and Spence wanted the climate to be absorbed throughout the hotel and incorporated naturally ventilated circulation, coupled with robust external finishes. For another passive style of sustainability, the architects hope that a building that is durable and well-loved – like the concrete Calile – is most likely to survive beyond its original tenure.

“An efficient structural strategy of precast concrete delivered a shell allowing internal and external finishing trades to continue at the same time.”

The Calile makes the most of art deco decorative elements, and the balance of raw materials highlights bespoke ornamental details like gold railings against the organic stone floors or the turquoise tiles that glisten at the bottom of the pool.

Rooms start at $249 

While in Brisbane

Felix for Goodness

This tucked-away spot offers wholesome dishes like poppyseed pikelets, quince and almond tart, and black rice pudding. All are made in-house with local ingredients.

QAGOMA

A visit to Brisbane is not complete without a sneaky peek at QAGOMA’s new exhibitions. Don’t miss Bharti Kher’s bindi-adorned elephant.

Fish Lane

This newly opened laneway makes finding delicious food easy. From Sri Lankan curries to tapas bars or a Japanese cocktail bar – all you need to do is pick one to suit your mood.