From 1890s Mill to Luxury Hotel – Premier Mill Hotel by Spaceagency Architects

The Premier Mill Hotel sees a heritage building, the former Roller Flour Mill, transformed by Spaceagency Architects into a luxury hotel in Katanning, Western Australia.

The building was first designed in 1890 by J.J. Talbot Hobbs, occupying a prime corner spot on the main street. In 2008 the Shire Council put the building, now in almost derelict condition, up for sale for $1, taking bids from applicants who could transform the space, while honouring the site’s heritage and bringing life back into the town in the Great Southern region, three hours east of Perth.

Saving the building from falling into disarray, the architects and clients designed a venue that seeks to generate social and economic benefits for the wider community, while crafting a striking hotel that has become a destination in itself. Spaceagency Architects were given a brief to recreate the former mill as a 22-room hotel with a lobby, common areas, veranda and basement bar while enhancing the existing structure and industrial elements. The brief brought a unique set of challenges as the site was never intended for habitation. In response, the architects inserted rooms that weaved around the industrial features.

The mill’s machinery and the original timber structure are revealed in guest rooms, but the atmosphere is softened through textiles, floor to ceiling curtains, and inset carpets. Bespoke joinery made by Paul Morris from Join protects and enhances the heritage framework. Furniture also made by Join is featured throughout the entire building, adding a sense of continuity.

Saving the building from falling into disarray, the architects and clients designed a venue that seeks to generate social and economic benefits for the wider community.

The result is an impressive collaboration between old and new architectural elements. Former machinery and structural components, like timber beams and steel framework, become the backdrop to the new hotel. By inserting the rooms within this industrial environment, the interior spaces are blended and exposed to each other, giving the venue a communal atmosphere that invites guests to share spaces.

The staircase, with its boiler centre and antique-inspired steel framed lift cage, becomes a feature for the guests when they first arrive. However, because the staircase is open to the three levels of the hotel, it is seen from the basement bar, reception, and kitchen area complete with Aga stove and communal table. Through each of these levels opening onto the staircase, the lobby stretches across the three levels, connecting all the common rooms and fulfilling the council’s desire for a venue that serves the community.

The result is an impressive collaboration between old and new architectural elements.