25hours Hotel The Olympia | Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects

25hours Hotel The Olympia transforms the former 1911 Olympia Cinema at the intersection of Oxford and South Dowling Streets into a vibrant 109-room hotel, reinvigorating a prominent Paddington landmark. The project reinstates the original cinema entrance, reinterprets its historic lantern and introduces a contemporary copper-clad roof and rooftop bar, contributing to the ongoing revitalisation of Oxford Street.

Organised around a central courtyard garden set above the heritage-listed Busby’s Bore, the hotel carefully mediates between large-scale commercial fabric and adjacent heritage terraces. A diverse room offering distinguishes between lively street-facing rooms and quieter garden-facing retreats, while ground floor retail and hospitality activate the public domain. Retention of existing building fabric, extensive roof landscaping, photovoltaics and rainwater harvesting comprise a sustainability strategy focused on longevity and performance.

The result is a resilient, climatically responsible hotel, underpinned by long-term stewardship of its significant urban and heritage context.