Art lovers rejoice! Melbourne’s newest boutique hotel, Ovolo South Yarra, is home to one of the largest private art collections in an Australian hotel; including works by famed Australian artists Ben Tankard and Johnny Romeo, the sizeable collection is on display in the vibrant and eclectic hotel and hotel restaurant, Lona Misa.
Opening its doors in April 2021, Ovolo South Yarra has already made a name for itself as one of Melbourne’s leading boutique hotels, taking design cues from the days of disco, rock gods and retro glamour. The hotel group’s newest jewel in its crown, offers something other hotels don’t, an expansive art collection with over sixty pieces of work from nine incredible artists.
Ovolo Group founder, Girish Jhunjhnuwala, who personally helped curate the private art collection, uses art & design as a way to connect with people, encouraing an emotive response from those viewing it.
“Ovolo South Yarra will set the scene for an extraordinary hotel experience embodying Ovolo’s philosophy of connecting with its customers emotionally and will complement the local cultural scene through its art, design and unique restaurant concept,” said Girish.
Curated in collaboration with award-winning Interior Design firm, Luchetti Krelle, the graphic wallpaper, gleaming chrome, plush pattern-heavy furnishings, and bold primal hues grant the hotel with a heavy dose of rock ’n’ roll anarchy spritzed with futuristic jet-set flair.
Rachel Luchetti, who co-founded Luchetti Krelle in 2008, looked to the iconic South Yarra surrounds for inspiration when it came to choosing the best artists and pieces to fill the space.
“South Yarra – the cosmopolitan corner of Melbourne – has always had a rep for setting trends as a cultural hub of food, art and fashion. It’s the ultimate place for stepping out in style and living life as it should be,” says Luchetti.
“Retrofuturism explores the themes of tension between past and future and the nostalgia of those eras is appropriated with integrated modern art installations and collaborations with local and international artists.”
You don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to immerse yourself in the incredible art on display. At every turn of the Lobby there is an element of surprise and delight, discovering a time of discos, rock gods and retro glamour. Upon entry, pop art collides with retro elements through raw brutalism and monolithic forms, centred around a neon fireplace with bright orange flue and a domineering concrete reception desk worth the weight of two elephants (6 tonnes) akin to a futuristic airport check-in.
A vast internal lightwell serves as the heartbeat of Ovolo South Yarra. The largest in Australia, created in partnership with FPOV lighting and audio-visual designers, to showcase Ovolo’s love of art and
