Australia’s first cross-laminated timber (CLT) hotel and tallest timber adaptive-reuse project will open its doors in Melbourne later this year.

TFE Hotels and Hume Partners Property are set to open the 220-room Adina Apartment Hotel in Melbourne’s Southbank in the next six months.

The new apartment hotel features a 10-level timber extension on top of the existing concrete building located on the corner of Southbank Boulevard and City Rd.

Designed by architecture firm Bates Smart, the project has used about 5,300 tonnes of CLT, offsetting about 4,200 tonnes of carbon emissions.

“In addition to reduced carbon emissions, cross-laminated timber incorporates several sustainability benefits, including lower transport costs and time saving advantages from off-site manufacturing,” said Bates Smart director Julian Anderson.

“It also presents a more sustainable approach to increasing density within our cities.”

The timber for the hotel was sourced from suppliers with Forest Stewardship Council certification — one of only two internationally-recognised forest certification networks.

The project had modular bathrooms manufactured off-site to reduce waste and used an electric crane to limit noise impact during construction.

It also has an energy management system integrated into each room to automatically control the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system.

The building comprises 70 studio apartment-style hotel rooms, 140 one-bedroom and 10 two-bedroom apartments.

“At Adina Melbourne Southbank, the wow [factor] will come from the innovative use of such sustainable building product, as well as the contemporary look and feel,” said Chris Sedgwick, chief operating officer at TFE Hotels.

“Internally, the hotel’s design has taken inspiration from the architecture. The ground floor lobby is lined with timber, aligning with the new method of construction, which exudes a warm and welcoming ambience in shared public spaces.”

CLT is a non-toxic and fire-resistant material that offers superior strength and stability compared to common structural materials.

All images courtesy Hume Partners Property.