With Architecture by Richards & Spence, The Bonobo is a new landmark Hotel and Retail destination in the heart of Byron Bay. Commissioned by Podia, the project is currently under construction with completion anticipated mid 2024.

Size: 4,200sqm
Budget: N/A
Scope: Concept Design, Development Application, Design Development, Tender Documentation
Collaborators: Podia (client) Richards & Spence (architect), MrP Studio (digital renders)

Anchored by a richly landscaped central courtyard

A place that is curated for community

Glimpse into the central courtyard

Vibrant exchange between building and street

Greenery is everywhere – reaching upwards from the central courtyard garden, trailing from balconies, potted around the retail stores, and embracing the rooftop pool

An elegantly landscaped pool crowns the rooftop

1. Rooftop pool vistas over the surrouding bushland (left)
2. Wategos Beach (top right)
3. Limestone and silver timbers embody the soft colours of the shore (bottom right)

The Bonobo’s curated retail, wellness and hospitality offerings are ocupied by landscape

A place that’s green at heart and touched by nature.
The landscapes hold a mirror to Byron Bay’s sprawling hinterland and the bounty of its coast.

1. Inspired by the landscape of Byron Bay (top left)
2. The beauty of the garden is embraced and celebrated as part of the Lobby experience (bottom left)
3. Modernist brick expression is a contemporary ode to the urban fabric (right)

Design Statement

The Bonobo by Raes is a visionary collaboration between 360 Degrees, Podia, luxury hospitality group Raes and the architects of Brisbane’s The Calile Hotel, Richards & Spence.

Imaginative architecture, a bespoke hotel experience and vibrant retail and F&B offerings have been assembled to create a sense of place that is special. Forged from clay and brick, anchored by a richly landscaped central courtyard, and crowned by a luxurious rooftop pool, the low rise building seamlessly weaves its modernist lines into the fabric of Byron Bay.