Shadow Play by Peppers: Inside Southbank’s most stunning contemporary building

When it comes to avant-garde design in Southbank, you need look no further than Shadow Play By Peppers.

The 46-floor building is home to a 71 room serviced apartment hotel, a breathtaking rooftop cocktail bar, 450 residential apartments and arguably Southbank’s best restaurant, Edwin Wine Bar, and it may just be Southbank’s true shining light of contemporary architecture.

Shadow Play is the brainchild of renowned Australian entrepreneur Jonathan Hallinan; a man whose clarity of concept covers every square inch of this building.

From its seductively dark corridors lined with art by Australian photographer, Georges Antoni, to the light-soaked, fully-equipped hotel and serviced apartments, there is a deliberateness to Shadow Play that few other buildings in Melbourne possess.

“While Peppers is part of the Accor Hotel Group, we are the only Shadow Play in the world,” Shadow Play by Peppers digital marketing executive Nico Mackintosh said.

Being in Southbank, it is so competitive for hotels, our point of difference is our mix of serviced apartments and hotel facilities; it is quite unique to have a combination of the two.

““The architectural design and fit-out of the building, both for the hotel and restaurant, delivers a unique ambience rarely seen in hotels” .”

The hotel component of Shadow Play covers levels one to nine of the building and offers visitors a mixture of one- and two-bedroom rooms boasting kitchens fully equipped with utensils, washing machines, and dryers; pretty much everything you would expect in your home, alleviating the hassle and worry from their guests.

Hotel guests have complimentary access to oversized lounge and library rooms, a complete gym and a heated outdoor pool with city views.

Venturing through the rooms and corridors of the building it is easy to be enamoured by the stark but warm aesthetic, however, all feelings of comfort make way for a moment of jaw-dropping brilliance as you make your way to the indoor and garden meeting rooms of the 46th floor.

Panoramic, and uninterrupted, views of Melbourne are what await you, from the Macedon Ranges across Port Phillip Bay to Albert Park Lake.

“Our board room holds 20 people for sit-downs and for cocktail parties we can cater for 30 stand-ups, but what people come here for is the view, you can’t get much better,” Ms Mackintosh said.

“Anything that is needed, from catering to equipment hire, we can tailor these spaces to fit the needs of our clients.”

From the rooftop back down to the ground floor (or slightly above street level), Edwin Wine Bar has just launched a new seasonal menu with a defined ethos, celebrating and supporting local people and produce.

The team behind Edwin Wine Bar bring to the fore some of Victoria’s best wine and food from Gippsland to the Grampians, and everywhere in between.

With a clear focus on seasonality, Edwin’s new menu nods to the abundance of quality seafood.

The highlights according to Ms Mackintosh, “the Hiramasa kingfish or barramundi with mushroom emulsion are hard to go past.” •

For more information: hotelshadowplay.com.au