Rundle Bar is a luxurious and enchanting space with a show-stopping central bar where guests can relax and socialise, surrounded by breathtaking mountain views. Working within the constraints of the Banff Springs Hotel’s notable status, FRANK Architecture & Interiors’ timeless design for the space balances historic features with fresh and innovative touches.
Situated within the iconic Fairmont Banff Springs, Rundle Bar is an enchanting space often deemed the living room or heart of the hotel. The design draws inspiration from the notion of the living room with bespoke furniture groupings and intimate lighting pockets, while honouring the rich history. It emulates a sense of luxury and elegance, while offering an approachable and comfortable atmosphere where guests can socialize and relax. Custom designed furniture in rich jewel tones and leather upholstery, combined with bronze and glass detailing in the bespoke lighting create luxurious layers that complement the space.
The central showstopping bar anchors the space and ties into double volume arches. Once part of the original building façade, these were transformed by FRANK Architecture & Interiors into full height shelving with a custom bronze and wood engraving above. The engraved ‘thistle’ is a common narrative seen in linenfold, plaster and stained glasswork throughout the historical hotel. One of the original arches adjacent to the bar was converted into a floor to ceiling bookshelf with a secret door leading to an intimate dining area. Bespoke lighting and rich materials layered throughout instil a sense of opulence and grandeur, creating an elevated yet approachable dining experience.
Careful consideration was given to respect and preserve many of the existing architectural elements within the space, including maintaining the historic Rundle stone which was quarried from the base of Mount Rundle mountain above. FRANK Architecture & Interiors have achieved a design that is both current and timeless, successfully paying homage to the hotel’s story while delivering a design that transcended the client’s technical, functional, and aesthetic goals.
