CTRL Space appointed to reimagine landmark Queenstown accommodation site

Owned by Gaw Capital Partners, the centrally located property will be repositioned as a contemporary hybrid hotel, designed for a new generation of global travellers. The four-storey site spans 1,000sqm and includes active ground-floor retail frontage, with visitor accommodation above.

For CTRL Space founder Chris Stevens, the project reflects a shift in how hospitality environments are being designed, particularly for millennial and Gen Z travellers seeking experience, atmosphere and connection over more traditional ideas of luxury.

The design direction will reinterpret Queenstown’s alpine identity through a contemporary lens, drawing on local chalets, schist barns, ski culture and rugged natural textures. Rather than a conventional hotel or hostel model, the scheme will combine lifestyle-led hotel rooms with premium dorms, communal kitchens, co-working areas, lounges and activated hospitality spaces.