Qantas Sydney First Lounge

The Qantas Sydney First Lounge is a pre-flight departure lounge for premium Qantas customers. Located at the Sydney International Terminal, it offers 180 degree views of Sydney city and Botany Bay and welcomes more than 150,000 guests per year. Led by the vision of internationally renowned Australian designer Marc Newson in collaboration with his associate architect Sebastien Segers and Woods Bagot, the flagship Qantas First Lounge in Sydney sets an international benchmark in lounge design with the highest levels of comfort, service and luxury.

Lounge features include:
- a 48-seat open kitchen restaurant with menus by renowned Australian chef Neil Perry of Rockpool;
- lounge areas with comfortable seating and recliner chairs;
- a day-spa offering complimentary treatments;
- a private library with a diverse range of reading material;
- personal work suites, business facilities and conference capabilities; and
- a full concierge service.

Marc Newson’s acclaimed design aesthetic flows throughout the Lounge. He has sourced the finest materials and worked with luxury brands across the globe to create this heaven. The Lounge features leather recliners, sofas and lounge chairs and tables by Cappellini, Tai Ping wool carpets from Hong Kong, marble from Carrara and quartzite from Switzerland, and masterfully designed American oak sculptures.

A muted natural stone colour palate, open plan spaciousness and selection of world’s-best brands evoke a feeling of understated luxury from the moment guests enter.The focus was on harmonious design elements to ensure a sense of cohesiveness to the space, which spreads across 2,000 square metres and encompasses a range of zones from business to entertainment to spa.

The arrival area sets the scene for the customer experience with vertical gardens creating a tranquil transition from the chaotic departure halls to the lounge. International botanist Patrick Blanc designed the striking vertical gardens which line the walls of the entry hallway and Day Spa. A spectacular vertical garden-with 8,400 plants extends across 30 metres of the lounge wall, bringing nature indoors in a dramatic yet sustainable way, cleansing the air and invigorating the senses.

Soaring, specially commissioned American oak sculptures segment the lounge into exclusive zones for dining, relaxation, business, library and entertainment.

Marc Newson custom-designed many of the lounge pieces, including the leather lounge chairs, recliners and sofas made by world-renowned Italian leather manufacturer Poltrona Frau.

The dining area features more pieces custom designed by Cappellini, complemented by signature design items such as cutlery and crockery produced by Alessi and Noritake.

The lounge offers a Payot Paris day-spa - an Australian first-framed by an extension of the vertical garden and featuring natural elements.

The lounge is a flashy ultramodern creation: the sort of interior design you might expect aboard a luxury space cruiser in a futuristic fantasy world. But it also seems that Newson has gone to extraordinary lengths to bring nature and life into the place.Ultimately, what is most striking about Newson’s design, and the facilities within, is that the concept is so clearly targeted towards the desire for ‘human’ experiences.

Designer/architects: Marc Newson, Sebastien Segers, Woods Bagot

project location: sydney international airport, Australia

project date: 2007

QANTAS BAR

QANTAS DEPARTURE LOUNGE

LIBRARY

RESTAURANT

DAY SPA

DAY SPA

SPA ROOM

SEATING AREA

window detail