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The Star Entertainment Group has unveiled new images of its $65 million transformation at its Pyrmont casino building.
The Star, which operates casinos in Sydney, Brisbane and the Gold Coast, has undertaken extensive renovations updating the building's entrance, with the inclusion of a brand-new bar, luxury retailers and a world first permanent indoor light and interactive digital art foyer.
The new $22 million "Grand Foyer" includes a 25-metre-long, 8K resolution crescent-shaped screen which will showcase the works of emerging and established Australian artists, university students, cinematographers and animators.
Alongside the digital canvas, is the first sculptural water installation of its design in the Southern Hemisphere – the "Aquatique" artwork of falling water.
The new interactive arrival experience is targeted towards tech-savvy visitors catering to the experiential demands of the "Instagram and Snapchat generation" which the building currently averages at 20,000 per day.
Related: Pyrmont to Rise to the Heights of Sydney CBD: Images
The Star, formerly known as Echo Entertainment, recently rebranded its Astral Towers and Residences to The Star Grand Hotel and Residences, following a $100 million investment to its hotel rooms and suites.
The brand change provides the five-star hotel with a new identity, more closely aligned with The Star Sydney’s sister property on the Gold Coast and eventually with Brisbane, where the $3.6 billion Queen’s Wharf project is currently progressing.
The Star Sydney chief operating officer Dino Mezzatesta said the transformation supported the Group’s vision to become Australia’s leading integrated resort company by thrilling guests from the moment they set foot on property.
“Architecture, contemporary art and technology have converged to form an iconic showpiece that delivers a unique, unexpected and dynamic arrival experience for our guests,” Mezzatesta said.
Over recent years the Pyrmont peninsula has become a battleground for casino and hotel operators as The Star Entertainment takes on its rival James Packer's $2 billion hotel complex at Barangaroo South, just over the Pyrmont Bridge.
The Star, along with Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook and Far East Consortium, is currently seeking approval from the NSW Department of Planning for its $500 million Ritz-Carlton hotel to accompany its hotel building.
The luxury hotel and residential project that will comprise 220 Ritz-Carlton hotel rooms along with 200 high-end residences.
Related: GPT, AMP and Brookfield Revise $1 Billion Darling Harbour Proposal
If approved, the project will bring the Marriott International brand back to the harbour city, after Sydney’s two Ritz Carlton hotels closed more than a decade ago.
Architects FJMT, led by Richard Francis-Jones, is at the design helm of the 61-storey development that will sit within the Pyrmont-Darling Harbour precinct.
The development would remove part of the existing Star casino and replace it with the 237-metre tower.
A five-storey neighbourhood centre with a 1,691sq m floor area is proposed for the tower’s podium, comprising a community lounge and terrace, a library space, classrooms and training spaces and a civic function area.
Once final approvals have been received, it is estimated that construction will be completed within three years.
