OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Melbourne’s Darcy Group is the first independent operator to open up a venue on the river side of South Wharf. And it looks like getting in early with the Melbourne public is paying off. Story: Matt Caton Melbourne Public: 11 Dukes Walk, South Wharf VIC (03) 9268 7600 or www.melbournepublic.com.au
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t times, Melbourne can look a lot like SimCity. In the game, if you clicked and dragged over an industrial zoned area, and flipped it to a commercial zone in the right location, businesses would start popping up like daisies on a spring afternoon. Melbourne’s latest waterfront development, the South Wharf Boardwalk Precinct, is proving this concept is pretty accurate in real life as well. Jumping in early, The Darcy Group chose this emerging entertainment hot spot for their latest venture, Melbourne Public. Nestled under the shadow of the Melbourne Convention and Entertainment Centre with close proximity to the Hilton Hotel, the iconic Polly Woodside, the DFO shopping hub and a surprisingly short 900m walk to Etihad stadium, Melbourne Public currently sits pride of place in what has all hope of becoming one of Melbourne’s premiere nightlife districts. Exposing Character After the successful, but somewhat safe development of Richmond’s Precinct Hotel (which, because the Darcy’s never stray too far from footy, is a short 900m walk from the MCG) the group called up flavour of the month designers Projects of Imagination to give one of Melbourne’s oldest shipping areas a fresh face. The 8m-high ceilings of the former Titan Wire Factory would initially seem rather daunting. But instead of fighting it, one of the group’s partners and Head of New Business, Matt Darcy, wanted to embrace the building’s feel and create a 1920’s industrial inspired look, that still managed to remain contemporary. “We didn’t want people to feel like they were walking into an airplane hangar,” explained Matt, when asked about the non-structural exposed H-beams that sit above the main bar floor. While primarily bringing the eye line to a manageable level, the beams double as a hanging point for replica gas light fixtures throughout the bar that form the basis of the heritage recreation. “Most of the design items were pretty custom, with the bar made out of custom-made NX Blackbutt Timber, to even the carpet which displays a Melbourne Public log,” said Matt. Tasmanian Oak floors and walls continue the ‘past and present’ theme, which is rounded out by internal walls that include Daniel Robertson Scott System brick snaps, old black and white photography and 1920s newspaper prints. Good Citizen Adjacent to, and connected by an interior walkway to Melbourne Public is Citizen Cafe. Also under the Darcy Group banner, the cafe compliments the main venue both in style and substance, catering to the morning coffee, lunch and light-dining brigade. Breaking the long tenancy into two venues works well, saving the open factory for the main event, and utilising the remaining thin corner slice for daytime trade spilling out onto the concourse.
“We didn’t want people to feel like they were walking into an airplane hangar”