Venue 63

Collegians: Where Big Club Meets Small Bar Cool Retail Savvy Group: My Way or Highway Glamorama: Unique Suburban Bar Challenge The Paddington: Merivale Turns to Rotisserie Bird’s Basement: Oz’s Answer to Birdland Saké Flinders Lane: Another Non-Conformist

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MAVERICKS & CHEAP MONEY

H

as anyone offered you some cheap money lately?

If you read the financial press you’ll hear the throwaway phrase of money being ‘cheap’. Cheap money? Money is money, surely? It’s a term to describe how interest rates are low. With low interest rates the suits in charge of large sums of cash are looking at their options. Sticking a couple of lazy billion into AAA-rated government bonds isn’t going to cut it when interest rates are rock bottom. It’s a safe option, sure, but the returns are so unspectacular as to force investors to pick up their toys and go home. Rather, money men are looking to get into business themselves to make better returns.

It’s called private equity. No doubt you’ve heard of it.

The bankers are smart people and they’re accustomed to dealing in truckloads of cash. Meanwhile, the allure of money — investment to grow a business — is very appealing. Private equity can instantly make all your money problems go away, and may even set you up for life. But at what cost?

Well... it depends.

The cautionary tale is one of private equity firms buying a business, installing their own management (after all, they’re the ‘smartest guys in the room’, and know your business way better than you do, apparently), then rapidly expand, applying the same sort of formula to success as any other industry, and then send the company to the wall when the fiscal winds change ever so slightly.

The flipside is that there are many, many well run, and profitable companies owned and/or managed by private equity firms. After all, they normally are the smartest guys in the room, and they’re highly motivated to do what it takes to succeed — including actually (shock!) understanding the business they’ve bought into.

Hospitality, like any big business, has its share of private equity ownership. One of the biggest going around is Quadrant Private Equity which owns Urban Purveyor Group. UPG is now one of the largest restaurant groups in Australia thanks to a portfolio that includes Saké, and the Bavarian Bier Café outlets.

My natural reaction is one of suspicion. My suspicion is that the moneymen don’t know hospitality, and would simply apply their financial slide rules to the business not recognising the role good operators have in the success of a restaurant or pub. A good operator might need to answer to the Macquarie Street bankers but they’ll also understand, just as importantly, they need to answer to the local High Street punter. A solid sense of the big picture is, of course, important but no more than the small picture. I wondered how an investment banker would really get that… I mean, really get it in a visceral way.

I was pleasantly surprised when I attended the launch of the latest of Saké Flinders Lane in Melbourne. Far from being just a fancy restaurant chain, there’s a recognition of the sensibilities required for a local restaurant to succeed — a street-smart knowledge and personality.

Of course, most of us aren’t owned by a giant private equity firm or a corporate giant. Hospitality is, in fact, a bastion of private ownership.

Everyday someone wakes up and thinks it’d be a good idea to open a cafe, bar or restaurant… after all ‘How hard can it be?’ Sure enough, as the vast majority quickly go to the wall or realise that it can be ‘pretty bloody hard, thank you very much’, there are a select few who soar.

They combine the right product with the right operational smarts.

Falling into the latter category is the Retail Savvy Group — owned and managed by a Melbourne-based husband and wife team. I spoke to Stewart Koziora this issue and I think I can safely say that I’ve found the last hospitality group on earth that’s likely to succumb to the overtures of private equity. Stew and Anna Carosa have hit on a successful formula and enjoy running their fiefdom the way they like it — and all strength to them.

It goes to show, there’s still a place for the maverick operator in hospitality. And don’t let some banker tell you otherwise.

Christopher Holder Editorial Director, chris@venuemag.com

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CONTENTS

June 2016 No 63

Yes, we’re a club, it’s in the name, but we build different.

Michael Wilkins, CEO Collegians Club, Wollongong Venue: Vivarium, Bangkok

Pubs, Bars & Nightclubs

24 The Paddington 44 The Oxford Hotel, Sydney 46 The Northcote Social Club 38 Glamorama, Fitzroy 50 Bird’s Basement, Melbourne

Hotels

56 Ovolo, Woolloomoloo 54 Ibis Styles, Brisbane

CONTACTS: Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353 Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@venuemag.com)) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@venuemag.com) Art Direction & Design: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Graphic Designer: Daniel Howard (daniel@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Enquiries: (subscriptions@alchemedia.com.au) Accounts: Jaedd Asthana (accounts@alchemedia.com.au)

Restaurants & Cafes

36 Saké Flinder Ln, Melbourne 41 Jupiters Casino Restaurants 48 Jimmy Grants, Eastlands 32 Hunter & Barrel, Eastlands 30 Barista & Cook, Waterloo 66 You Wish: Vivarium, Bangkok

Clubs

14 Collegians,

Woollongong 20 St Johns Park

Bowling Club Alchemedia Publishing pty ltd (ABN: 34 074 431 628) PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 info@alchemedia.com.au All material in this magazine is copyright © 2015 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title Venue is a registered Trademark.

Apart from any fair dealing permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any process without written permission. The publishers believe all information supplied in this magazine to be correct at the time of publication.

They are not in a position to make a guarantee to this effect and accept no liability in the event of any information proving inaccurate. After investigation and to the best of our knowledge and belief, prices, addresses and phone numbers were up to date at the time of publication. It is not possible for the publishers to ensure that advertisements appearing in this publication comply with the Trade Practices Act, 1974. The responsibility is on the person, company or advertising agency submitting or directing the advertisement for publication. The publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions, although every endeavour has been made to ensure complete accuracy.

Regulars

13 Smooth Operator 28 20 Questions: Stewart Koziora 60 F&F News 62 AV News 64 LX News

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NEW ENGLAND CONSTRUCTIONS

With over 35 years experience, New England Constructions has delivered over 200 hospitality projects

BUILDING YOUR BUSINESS

“

New England Constructions has been amazing. To think that they extended the building 40m to the south; turned back around and demolished 40m internally; then built through the middle while keeping us trading… Well, it’s actually an outstanding feature of working with New England.

“

Michael Wilkins, CEO of Collegians Rugby League Football Club, Wollongong

www.newenglandconstructions.com.au

Ph : 02 9369 1241

O

dd slogan right? Can you imagine an Australian city council adopting ‘weirdness’ as its primary selling point? No chance. ‘Keep Richmond Sleepy’? Sure. ‘Keep The Valley Quiet’? Yep. ‘Keep King’s Cross Closed’? U-huh.

But keep anywhere ‘Weird’? No way. But Austin Texas ain’t like any Australian city. In fact, it ain’t like any other city on earth. I’ve just returned from the U.S. on a fact-finding mission (and by ‘fact-finding’ I mean, I was there stealing ideas). And by far the most interesting and unusual place I visited was Austin, Texas. Austin is the state capital of Texas and one of the most liberal cities in America… which is frickin’ weird in itself. It’s one of the world’s great geographic ironies: Texas, the vast Southern conservative sea of Republican Red, has a tiny dot of progressive Democratic Blue sitting at its heart. And decades of all that lefty, bleedingheart, bohemian, hipsterish creativity has created some seriously innovative hospitality.

So here are the weirdest (and best) things about Austin’s hospo scene: Rainey Street: The weirdest of all Austin places is Rainey Street. Rainey Street is what happens when your council doesn’t have a planning department. Cos in Austin, if you wanna turn your house into a bar, you don’t apply for a permit, you just do it. First, one person on Rainey St turned their little home into a bar. And it went well. So her neighbour did the same. And that went well too. Then another. And pretty soon you either opened a bar in your house, or you sold your house to someone who wanted to open a bar. So now, what only 10 years ago was a quiet, rundown little residential street on the CBD fringe, is now a bustling hospitality precinct, row and after row of picket fences and front verandahs, welcoming allcomers to the bars set within.

Cops on the Beat: Okay, this isn’t so much weird, as surprising. When you think Texas, you normally think loud, angry, gun-totin’ rednecks.

Not the sort of guys who’d take kindly to being asked to leave your venue for being drunk or offensive, right? And yet, in Austin, no one ever argues when a bouncer tells you to leave.

Wanna know why? In Austin, when a bouncer asks you to leave, and you don’t leave, the bouncer calls the cops. Wanna know what the cops do when they show up? Put you in jail for two days. That’s why no one ever argues with a bouncer in Austin.

Dive Bars: Once named for being disreputable, sinister or plainly illegal houses of ill-repute, best avoided by all but the most hardened drinker, Austin has given dive bars a reprieve.

The dive bars of Austin are some of the best and coolest venues in town, frequented by cowboys and tourists, frat boys and sorority sisters (yep, naturally the University of Texas at Austin is one of the most exciting and progressive campuses on earth). Renowned as one of the live music capitals of the world, every dive bar has a stage, and every stage has a star on it, either rising, or falling, but either way burning bright. Young or old, country or rock, you just

wouldn’t believe the quality of the talent you find in these dark, dodgy, dive bars. Pool tables, sticky carpet, Budweiser and Beam. But absolutely no cocktails.

Whisler’s (Minus the T): In many ways, the opposite of a dive bar. All stone and brick walls, exposed timber beams, low lights and candles.

And cocktails (but no Bud). But it’s the little room perched over the bar like a treehouse that really makes this place special. No bigger than a small bedroom, with a tiny counter in one corner, 20 people at a time climb the narrow stair to taste Mezcal, the other Tequila, out of small terracotta ramekins. This is the definition of doing one thing and doing it well.

Craft Culture: Speaking of specialties, it’s no great surprise that Austin has attracted more than its share of craft brewers over the years.

These days in Australia we’re quite accustomed to a good variety of craft beers on tap and in fridges in bars, pubs and restaurants. Here craft beers make up about 3-4% of beer sales.

In The States that number is closer to 10%.

In Austin, I swear, it’s got to be north of 50%, and I’ll be darned if most of those beers aren’t made locally by some guy with a beard. It has a huge impact on the way you go out. With the notable exception of Dive Bars, you simply do not, would not, could not go out in Austin and drink mainstream beer. Even if you wanted to, you couldn’t find it. This is not a mere curiosity. Austin is what it looks like when an entire community simply forgets about old mainstream beers. When they just ‘move on’.

Franklin BBQ: Texas BBQ is cooked different ways in different parts of the state. In Austin, its all about long, slow smoking (and by slow, we’re talking 12 hours and up). All across town, day or night, the site of smoke wafting up out of giant black smoking tanks is a wondrous harbinger of magnificent food to come. Ribs, brisket, pulled pork or sausage, dripping in barbecue sauce, with sides of coleslaw, pickles, potato salad, corn or beans. And a slice of white bread. And always served on wax paper on a tray, like some kind of gourmet prison dish. The best Austin BBQ of recent years was served out of a food truck on a vacant lot by Franklin Barbecue. Lines would form early and wouldn’t abate until the food ran out — and there were never any left-overs. After a few years Franklin Barbecue moved into a permanent site in an old restaurant downtown. The queue now forms before sunrise. And will still be there until the food runs out. And there’s still never any leftovers.

And Finally: Weirdest of all: the service. Take that famous American “the-only-thing-between-me-and-poverty-is-the-tip-I-can-getby-treating-you-right” service mentality. Then add the Austin. Uni students. Musos. Artists.

Filmmakers. LGBTs. 10th generation Austinites, or newly arrived from every corner of the Lone Star State, and right across the nation and the world. All of them passionate about their home (or adopted home). All of them proud of the food, the booze, and the bar from which they serve it. All of them determined to Keep Austin Weird.

Craft beers make up about 3−4% of beer sales. In Austin, it’s got to be north of 50%, and I’ll be darned if most of those beers aren’t made locally by some guy with a beard

SMOOTH OPERATOR Keep Austin Weird Matt Mullins is a partner in Sand Hill Road hospitality group

13

NEW ENGLAND CONSTRUCTIONS project

BIRTH OF THE COOL

14

An $11.3m club refurb and new build that manages to keep its cool.

Collegians Rugby League Football Club: 3A Charlotte St, Wollongong NSW

W

hy do small bars look cooler than big venues?

Is it because ‘that RSL’ likes to be bland, or ‘that reception centre’ wants the beige look?

Michael Wilkins, CEO of Collegians in Wollongong, reckons he has the answer: for a small bar, it’s all about looking cool; while for a large club, where building budgets run into the millions of dollars, it’s the cool stuff that’s the first to go in the initial round of cost cutting. Instead, Michael urges his team to think beyond that: “Let’s not by default lose all the cool bits to deliver a job at a price. Let’s keep the look and feel the customers will admire.”

BRINGING THE BIG CITY SOUTH Collegians is in Michael’s blood. His father was CEO for 35 years. Michael cut his professional teeth in the Sydney licensed club sector then returned to Wollongong in 2010 as club CEO. The advice he received went a little along the lines of ‘don’t get any big ideas’. “I was told not to bring Sydney to Wollongong — that it wasn’t ready for it. I thought differently and the first round of renovations were designed accordingly. Turns out I was right, Wollongong was ready. In fact, not long after, the area saw the launch of dozens of small bars and venues. If you’re not careful each of those will draw 10 or 20 of your patrons away.”

Maintaining a core design and build team of New England Constructions, Nicholas Architects and Split Watermelon Design, Michael hasn’t stopped expanding ever since. The latest is a $11.3m renovation and extension which has taken Collegians from a 300-catering-seat venue to 550. Again, there’s nothing ‘safe’ about the design. It’s ambitious. It takes some cues from cutting-edge hospitality and adds its own twist. One thing’s for sure, it’s nothing like anything Wollongong has seen before.

STEPPING UP TO DOWNSTAIRS So here was the big idea: the club would extend, housing the new Kitchen on Charlotte brasserie and a fresh, much-expanded catering kitchen.

The brasserie would supersede the old pizza restaurant on the main floor which was performing only so-so. But the pizza restaurant wasn’t dead, it would be moved to a vacant lower ground-floor void, but the menu would be turbo-charged with the addition of ribs and steak. What’s more, where the old kitchen was, that would be a fish & chip shop once the new kitchen fired up. Oh, and the club obviously needed to trade throughout the demolition and build process, and the key stage would need to be completed by 2015 Melbourne Cup Day — no excuses.

Downstairs Gem: Previously a dirt-floor void, Factory restaurant lures patrons downstairs with the promise of first-class pizza, steak and ribs. The pizza oven is a no-expense-spared beauty that provides the essential visual statement visible from upstairs. The rustic timber battens above the seating area were sourced by the builder from a local steelyard liquidation.

15

When you embark on a complex demolition and building project it helps to work with long standing partners. New England Constructions has worked with Collegians for more than 20 years.

It was familiar with many of the idiosyncrasies of the structure and services.

Allowing a club to trade through a significant rebuild takes considerable strategic planning. It certainly requires more than working outside the operational hours of the club (although there was a lot of that). And with non-negotiable deadlines (Melbourne Cup and Christmas) there was also a fair share of bloody-minded determination to complete the task. Despite the constraints, the level of finish throughout is exceptional.

Michael Wilkins: “Many builders are notorious in this regard: ‘you just stop trading while we knock this down and build’. The club can’t afford to do that, we need to keep going. If we’re going to pay your bill, we want to keep trading.

“New England Constructions on the other hand has been amazing. To think that they extended the building 40m to the south; turned back around and demolished 40m internally; then built through the middle while keeping us trading… well, it’s actually an outstanding feature of working with New England.”

TICKING BOXES? Collegians maintains a separate relationship with the interior designers, Split Watermelon and New England Constructions — it’s certainly not your regular ‘design and construct’ approach. It works well for the club. Michael Wilkins is highly engaged in the design process, much more than your aver-

16

age club CEO. Michael owns the big picture. Nicholas Architects designs the exciting and functional spaces to accommodate the big picture. Sue Jago, principal of Split Watermelon, expertly colours that vision in, while all the technicalities of the build are solved by New England Constructions.

Michael Wilkins needs to think big. To expand, he needs to think about available space — what he describes as ‘creating boxes’. “It’s about making enough space to get where we needed to be. It’s not ideal to take a restaurant from the main floor and put it down a 16-step staircase. But if you do it properly, it can work. So once the boxes are planned out, I can say to Sue Jago ‘what can we do with these boxes and how can we make it work?’.

“In the case of Factory pizza restaurant we needed a glittering jewel to coax people down the stairs. Which is why we spent so much time, money and energy on the pizza oven. And once you’re down there the industrial look with its secondhand bricks, old timber doors and quality furniture all combine to be a really pleasant place to dine. We have increased the pizza restaurant revenue by 120%.”

The new brasserie is again an amazing ‘box’.

New England Constructions built a blockwork ‘building within a building’ to house the dining area. The industrial-look timber ceiling is all a stunning facade. Meanwhile, the new kitchen might be ‘all business’ but also provides some theatre. “It’s a great, expansive kitchen,” observes Michael Wilkins. “The closed areas are glazed — patrons can see what we’re doing. Of course, that means it has to be spotless and I think our chefs are really proud of what we’ve given them to operate out of.”

All in the Detail: Six Fish Café (opposite) is replete with cool design touches and branding normally associated with boutique fitouts. Bar 67 (below) is a late-night destination with small-bar attitude combined with favourable big-club prices, selection and service.

maintain the essence of your vision. You want people to say ‘wow’ rather than ‘hey, you’ve built another box’

17

THEATRE OF VENUE DESIGN Most clubs have asked themselves the question “how do we expand our appeal?”. Few clubs have gone as far as Collegians to build individual destinations to cater to younger crowds and families as well as maintaining their appeal to seniors. Saying that, Michael Wilkins is unequivocal in who he designs for: “We unashamedly target our venues at 25-75 year old women. We want women to feel safe in our environment, such that they don’t necessarily need to come with their partner.”

Which brings us neatly back to where we started, namely operating cool venues that people want to be in. Michael Wilkins again: “Anyone can build a room and any architect is qualified to design a box. Take the best casinos in the world as an example; they’re essentially a huge Besser block building, but it’s what you do with the box that matters. It’s the ‘wow’ statements.

“My advice would be to maintain the essence of your vision. You want people to say ‘wow’ rather than ‘hey, you’ve built another box’. Don’t make your discussions about ‘building a club’… I’d suggest you take that out of your vernacular. At Collegians, we’re not building a club, we’re building a destination for people who don’t necessarily affiliate themselves with a club but want to go to Collegians.

They want to dine here, they want to socialise here, they want to be a part of it. Yes, we’re a club — it’s in the name — but we build different.”

— Christopher Holder CONTACTS New England Constructions: (02) 9369 1241 or www.newenglandconstructions.com.au Split Watermelon: (02) 9669 3381 or www.splitwatermelon.com.au Nicholas Architects: (02) 9369 3546 or groupn.co

18

Timber Time: The Bar 67 entrance (right) from Factory restaurant is via an impressive, reclaimed ‘barn’ door, sourced by the builder. Kitchen on Charlotte brasserie (below) maintains a rustic feel with its exposed timber ceiling, edison lamps, copper fittings and earthy leather tones. None of the timberwork is structural, the restaurant is built as a room within a room. The new kitchen facilities are a huge step up for the club, catering to the ~250 extra dining seats.

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Bowled Over No-pretensions club is the envy of the west.

St Johns Park Bowling Club: 93 Edensor Road, St Johns Park NSW (02) 9610 3666 or www.sjpbowling.com.au

S

t Johns Park Bowling Club’s members’ facilities were once housed in a shed. Quite literally, St Johns Park Bowling was a shed with bowling greens out front.

These days the club is leading the way with its progressive approach to clubs F&B. The new venues are of an astonishingly high quality, and not just for the ’burbs but anywhere — if you transported the club’s new steakhouse into The Star it wouldn’t look out of place.

“The aim was to expand our demographic,” noted the club’s Marketing Manager Debbie Hilder.

“The clubs market is crowded in western Sydney and we needed a point of difference; a reason for younger people to come to our club and not just for traditional reasons such as the gaming, the sports bar or TAB.”

NOTHING LIKE A CLUB The club hired Rohrig to oversee the construction.

There had been a longstanding relationship with the builder having undertaken the previous round of upgrades.

Rohrig engaged Paul Kelly Design to consult on the design as well as developing the business case for the various venues in Stage 1 and 2 of the club’s masterplan. It was a bold move given Paul Kelly Design’s lack of clubs pedigree, but the inference was obvious — ‘we don’t want the new work to look anything like a club, so let’s engage Paul Kelly Design because they don’t do clubs.’

Stage 1 encompassed the aforementioned steakhouse, lounge area and a bakery concept called Baking Room. Stage 2 sees the launch of a smart Chinese restaurant and a pop-up-style F&B concept called the Pavilion, tailor-made as a late evening haven for the younger crowds accustomed to gourmet food trucks.

TENANCY TENDENCIES

20

In a departure for the club (and most clubs in general), Paul Kelly Design worked to divvy up the traditional club lounge space. Designing venues with a venue, the restaurants are entered from a thoroughfare, a main street if you like, reinforcing the notion that you’re dining at a restaurant rather than checking in at a faceless club food option. In fact, the Chinese restaurant will actually be run as a separate tenancy rather than in-house.

The restaurants have their floorspace to work with and share lounge space as you cross the thoroughfare. In a bold move for a club which operates well into the wee hours, the restaurants

a PAUL KELLY DESIGN project

Going Shopping: The new restaurants are designed as separate ‘tenancies’ off a ‘main street’. The French-style Baking Room (right) provides much more than sandwiches and a custard tart, with an array of patisserie specialities.

21

Grilled & Vaulted: With an abundance of timber, marble and stone, the steakhouse is beautifully designed and supremely comfortable without a hint of pretension.

can and, at times, will be closed — physically shut to the public. Again, this reinforces the fact that these are honest-to-goodness venues rather than club transit lounges.

BAKE OFF The Baking Room is a full-service bakery, with bakers and pastry chefs preparing an array of sweat and savoury delicacies. The preparation areas and ovens are in view of the public, providing plenty of theatre in the lounge. It only takes seconds to discern that the Baking Room is far more than a fancy Subway.

The fitout is a contemporary take on a classic bakery with square timber window frames, marble benchtops, French-style display cabinets, brass rails, fluted counter fronts and decorative timber flooring. It’s not fussy but there is an artisan quality to the presentation.

CONTACT:

Paul Kelly Design: (02) 9660 8299 or www.paulkellydesign.com.au

Rohrig: (02) 9695 1668 or www.rohrig.com.au

22

STEAK OUT The steakhouse is a huge club drawcard. Members choose from a thrifty array of pub favourites, while the ~$25 steaks are gaining a solid reputation and a loyal audience. The restaurant really raises suburban F&B a couple of notches. The fitout is first rate. Between Rohrig’s eye for detail and Paul Kelly Design’s flair, the steakhouse is one classy fitout.

The $2.8m steakhouse fitout features an open

kitchen with a front of house rotisserie and woodfired oven. Behind the service counter is an extensive display of the cuts of meat on offer — something for the carnivores to geek-out on. The use of timber and other natural materials, such as the intricate stone flooring, help provide a rich and welcoming ambience. Again, the level of detail in the build is outstanding.

COMMUNITY COMMITMENT The club talks a lot about community. St Johns is a no-nonsense, culturally diverse suburb in Sydney’s outer west, without tickets on itself. What’s more, the club has an almost pathalogical aversion to anything pretentious. It’s an interesting balance to draw. St Johns Park Bowling club is happy to invest in quality but had no intention of launching anything remotely intimidating — either through ‘aspirational’ pricing or unnecessarily pushing the interior design boat out into the realms of the avant garde. Why? Because the club isn’t interested in attracting blow-ins or the harbourside elite; the club is interested in its community.

Doubtlessly, the new bakery and steakhouse look wonderful, and will provide a benchmark for future club refits. All eyes will be on Stage 2 and the Chinese restaurant and the Pavilion. “Can’t wait!” enthused Marketing Manager Debbie Hilder.

Nor can we.

Bond Bar, Melbourne

Solutions Through Emotion Sydney • Melbourne • Brisbane • Perth • Auckland projects@showtech.com.au | www.showtech.com.au | www.facebook.com/ShowTechnologyAus

DONE TO A TURN How much can Paddington bear?

Merivale gives an Oxford Street pub a finger-lickin’ rotisserie reno.

Text: Christopher Holder The Paddington: 384 Oxford St, Paddington NSW www.merivale.com.au/thepaddington

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s Justin Hemmes the hospitality messiah or just a naughty boy?

He certainly works miracles wherever he goes.

The latest marvel is the Merivale rebirth of the famous Newport Arms, which has the North Shore set jumping out of their deck shoes with excitement. Not so long ago Justin transformed the Coogee Palace into the coolest place in the eastern suburbs.

And then there’s this: The Paddington. Speaking to other operators in the area, it seems like they couldn’t wait for Mr Hemmes to shake his fairy dust over the Paddo. Would it hurt their business?

Not a bit, it’ll just bring more quality punters into the area. Seems like Justin Hemmes doesn’t have a single enemy in the business; a few green-eyed monster compatriots, no doubt, but otherwise everyone can’t get enough.

POPULAR WITH THE CHICKS The Paddo’s schtick is rotisserie chooks. Well, not just chicken (lamb and other delicacies are also skewered) but poultry fills the vista as you walk through the pub.

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It’s Executive Chef Ben Greeno’s idea, mostly, one suspects because it’s not done elsewhere. “I want to create food that lends itself to a good time,” Ben Greeno said. “Dishes that can be shared amongst friends. I thought, ‘why don’t we do rotisserie?’. There’s no reason why the food can’t be as good and complex as a high-end restaurant, even though it’s served in more casual surrounds”.

Greeno, whose CV includes Momofuku Seiobo, Michelin-starred Sat Bains and the world’s best restaurant, Noma, has moved from the rarefied air of fine-dining to lead the culinary charge. The Paddington has been designed entirely around his vision for the menu and the style of cooking he loves.

The rotisserie itself — custom made and imported from France — is an awesome piece of kit and provides plenty of theatre.

DESIGN BUTCHERED (LOCALLY) The Paddington has been brought to life by a design team including Kelvin Ho and Emilie Delalande of Akin Creative, stylist Amanda Talbot and Justin and Bettina Hemmes. Designed as if it was an old local butcher, it boasts a relaxed British

charm with white glazed ceramic tiles, painted timber panelling and dark timber furniture. Upstairs the space becomes more intimate with booth seating, panelled walls, a leather-fronted cocktail bar and mirrored tables. The private dining room is surrounded by a floor-to-ceiling distressed landscape mural painted by local Sydney artist Desmond Sweeney.

PADDING OUT THE STREET Merivale isn’t finished with Oxford Street. Greeno’s serving take-away only rotisserie chicken, salads and sandwiches next door. Meanwhile, two doors down it’s opening a new restaurant concept, led by an alum of Chez Panisse and the Napa Valley’s three-Michelin-starred French Laundry, Danielle Alvarez. Fred’s, as it’s known, is shaped

by Danielle’s passionate food philosophy — elevating already perfect produce using old-world techniques such as cooking with a wood-fired hearth and oven. The basement of Fred’s will be home to a tapas bar and eatery, with stunning interiors and seasonally-led cocktails.

I want to create food that lends itself to a good time ....I thought, ‘why don’t we do rotisserie?

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SOUND: WELL DONE

In previous issues we’ve mentioned just how fastidious Justin Hemmes is about his audio. The Paddington is no exception.

Martin Audio remains the loudspeaker of choice for Merivale, and this install saw one of the first outings for Martin Audio’s new CCD technology. It’s a coaxial design, where the HF unit sits in behind the low frequency device, with the two drivers sharing the same waveguide. The advantage of this is the audio from both drivers arrive at the listener’s ear at the same time for a better sonic image. It’s not the easiest speaker design to get right, though. Traditionally, a coaxial loudspeaker’s coverage would be quite narrow up close to the speaker and really quite different the further you retreat from it. Martin Audio took another look at the design of its waveguide. The CCD models use the speaker cone to graft a specially-designed waveguide that ensures an even, predictable dispersion pattern regardless of your proximity.

Being coaxial, it doesn’t matter which way you orient the speaker box. Merivale tends to want the speakers installed in a landscape orientation. Again, traditionally, with a regular twoway speaker box, aligning the loudspeaker ‘horizontally’ can be detrimental to the performance — listen off to one side and you’re hearing one driver before the other — but the CCD co-ax design happily swings both ways.

Justin Hemmes is extremely particular about maintaining perfect music levels within his venues regardless of where you might be sitting or standing. To attain a perfectly even coverage, you ideally need a multitude of smaller speakers, not a smaller number of large speakers, which might be caning punters near it and not reaching those more distant. Subwoofers can be located conveniently into the interior design to help round-out the sound of the smaller speakers. The Paddington has subwoofers concealed all over the place. What’s more, the more granular your control of those speakers the more you can control levels — the ‘tweakability’ levels rise considerably.

In the case of The Paddington, every two speakers effectively have their own volume knob and DSP control. To achieve this, each pair of left/right speakers needs its own amp. That’s a lot of amp channels, but it’s an expense Justin Hemme is willing to wear to ensure great sound. The amps are professional, run‘em-all-day CMX models from QSC, while the zoning and DSP control comes from BSS Soundweb.

Technical Audio Group (Martin Audio, QSC): (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au Bump Productions (AV Installer): (02) 9699 1166

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Salaryman.

East meets West through food and design — Paul Kelly Design has created a true fusion of style in Surry Hills.

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uestions with

Stewart Koziora

Stewart is co-founder of the Retail Savvy Group.

Along with his wife (and Managing Director) Anna Carosa, they run Melbourne’s Asian Beer Cafe, the newly opened The Bank and more.

O

ur venues are about providing a great product faster and cheaper than anyone else in that vicinity, all in a nice environment to meet friends. We want our patrons to think ‘why would I go anywhere else?’.

I’m a great believer in the old truism of being ‘only as good as your last shift’. We’re not the best in the game, nor do we purport to be, but we do offer an incredibly strong value-for-money proposition.

We don’t skimp on our produce. All our steak is grass-fed yearling from King Island. It’s not cheap and nasty, it’s top notch. And we’re selling that steak for $8-10. We make all our 10-inch pizzas at the Asian Beer Café, everything’s made in-house, and we sell them for $5. We’re still making money.

We’re moving about 3000 a week.

I don’t unnecessarily pass on costs to the customer, I get it back from the supplier. I focus on the supplier providing a better service so I can sell more of the product for a lower price. In return I’ll give the supplier a lot more reliable business. We only have six or seven suppliers, that’s it.

We like unusual sites — they’re not cookie-cutter. We like sites that have something about them and then I go ahead and do the best commercial deals I can.

We use the same plumber, same sparkies, same chippies — the team is always the same. Anna [Carosa] is the Project Manager. We develop the concept, we source the furniture we want from overseas and do the fitouts we want.

We build the site model around the target market. I don’t drink there, the local target market drinks there. I find a lot of publicans want to build a place where they’d like to drink. I don’t do that. That’s why we don’t have any replication of concepts.

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Any new space needs a good liquor licence, at least 600-700sqm of floorspace, and a landlord willing to sign a lease for 15 to 25 years. The liquor licence is important, because you can’t get good liquor licences anymore.

We look at bottlenecks in our service and we try and destroy those bottlenecks. I have a look at what pisses the customer off. Take the Asian Beer Cafe as an example: I had to do something about the queues during peak periods — it would get to seven or eight deep at the bar and we’d have eight servers pouring beer as fast as they could. It was like lining up for an ATM at the Victoria Market.

That was a bottleneck right there.

I looked at fast-pour delivery systems internationally. The States’ experience is different because they don’t have gas regulations. So we had to design something for ourselves. I had to really hound the tap systems providers but we came up with a way that decreased the beer pouring speed from 20 seconds for a jug of beer down to eight seconds. It’s had a massive impact. You can serve a lot more beer when people want it. I’m able to pull out an extra 15 to 20 kegs in that time slot a week. It’s massive.

We don’t ask for praise. We just want to exceed expectations.

We want our staff and managers to come along for the ride. I’m not looking for inspiration, I’m looking for perspiration. I tell them that up front — I don’t want to hear from them for six months, just follow the playbook — and it’s not what most staff want to hear. I shake the tree on purpose. The right people love it, the wrong people hate it. It’s just too intense, because we know what we’re doing.

A number of our venues have cocktails on tap.

We’ve had Long Island Iced Tea on tap at Father’s Office for two years. We were the first to do it.

Again, these are made with quality Pernod-Rickard spirits, not hillbilly liquor. I can serve a $7-8 cocktail in two minutes instead of a $15-20 cocktail where a bloke with a beard is mashing and muddling it for 10 minutes — our customers prefer the $8 cocktail.

I’m competitive. I want to smash competition.

I’m not fearful of competition.

Interview: Christopher Holder

I’d hate to ask someone to spend $100 when I know I can put it on the plate and blow your expectations for less than $45 for a full dinner I’d hate to ask someone to spend $100 at Father’s Office when I know I can put it on the plate and blow your expectations for less than $45 for a full dinner.

I’ve always been in hospitality. I was a McDonald’s manager when I was 15 — the franchisee made me a part-time manager. I was good at it and loved it. But I’ve known for long time I didn’t want to work for anyone else. I didn’t want to be poor, but I knew no one owed me a living. With that attitude I think I’ve been good at hospitality.

Is there any romance in the job? I like the flexibility; the freedom; I like the thrill of backing yourself. My wife has been a very successful entrepreneur well before we even met. I’ve enjoyed the journey with her. It’s a fun industry to be in, so there is romance of sorts.

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Crafty Beer Dixon Hospitality takes care of big pub fundamentals.

Story: Christopher Holder Crafty Squire: 127 Russell Street, Melbourne VIC (03) 9810 0064 or www.thecraftysquire.com.au

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pen Door Pub Group knows the value of a big pub. It built its fortunes on the suburban monster pub, Geebung Polo Club, then expanding into Melbourne’s CBD where it did wonders with refurbishment of The Duke (Issue 55) and others.

Dixon Hospitality Group, another privately owned venture, with Bruce and Michael Dixon at the helm, also knows a thing or two about big pubs, with the likes of the Middle Park Hotel and Newmarket Hotel in its portfolio.

In 2015, Dixon made its move, making Open Door an offer the directors couldn’t refuse. And to bolster its functions chops, Dixon also acquired Melbourne Venue Company. As of going to press, the Dixon Hospitality Group has 30 venues in its portfolio, mostly pubs, mostly within 15km of the Melbourne post office. venue met with Craig Ellison, to catch up on the developments and have a walk through the Imperial Hotel’s amazing rooftop beer garden (more in a future issue) and the Crafty Squire in Melbourne’s CBD. Craig was a Director of the Open Door Pub Group and is now Dixon’s COO after the acquisition.

“We sold to Dixon Hospitality Group just prior to Christmas 2015,” Craig Ellison recalls. “At the time we were going through a heavy construction phase — The Imperial, Crafty Squire, Auburn Hotel (née Geebung Polo Club) and the Great Britain.

We had approval from the bank to get going and after the acquisition Dixon also gave the green light to get the work done.

“What did Dixon bring? They brought a lot more capital but also a wealth of knowledge. Bruce Dixon was boss of the Spotless Group and his company has a book of blue chip corporate contacts as a result. It means we can more readily attract those top-end functions which we’ve traditionally not been so strong in.”

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WHAT’LL IT BE SQUIRE?

a RAMVEK project

Crafty Squire has been reopened since late last year after a Ramvek-led renovation with Newline consulting on the interior design. As the name suggests it’s a joint venture of sorts with James Squire. It combines the existing James Squire Brewhouse with erstwhile Portland Hotel in Melbourne’s Russell Street. More than knocking a few walls through, the corner site has doubled the old Brewhouse’s capacity by moving the dining room upstairs in much larger digs, and replacing the old ground floor dining with the Crafty Bar. Another bar/function space and terrace makes the most of the first level, while the brewhouse bar is retained, including the prominently positioned microbrewery.

“It’s taken a few months to find its legs, but the Crafty Squire is now really motoring,” notes Venue Manager, Joe Baily. “People like the options and we find the various spaces attract different crowds.”

SMALL BATCH PATCH James Squire might be a brewery but its been a heavy advocate of food when it comes to launching its branded pubs around Australia. The Crafty Squire’s focus on superior pub grub has been welcomed by parma-hungry city customers.

But the food still plays second fiddle to the large range of high-quality beers. There are 80+ taps on site, serving up the full gamut of James Squire favourites. The on-site microbrewery is more than a gimmick in this regard. Rather than simply providing some copper-kettle eye candy, the brewery supplies a ‘Small Batch’ addition to the already extensive beer range. The Small Batch beers aren’t from the usual James Squire menu but explore more, shall we say, experimental territory. For example, while <venue> was on site a chewy-looking unfiltered black IPA was being piped directly from a serving tank. Once that’s done, a new brew will be transferred from the fermenter. “We’re a James Squire pub, but Small Batch allows us to refresh our range of beers and keep our regulars guessing, which is a real attraction,” notes Joe Baily.

SQUIRED FOR SOUND

Another regular supplier to the Open Door/Dixon Hospitality Group is Disco Doctors, which spec’ed and installed the Crafty Squire AV. Disco Doctors relies on a combination of Martin Audio and QSC for the loudspeaker and amplification requirements, complemented by BSS Audio processing with iPad control. The Martin Audio AQ series is the more primo choice for areas that need something more than regulation background music. Martin Audio AQ subs provide the extra welly where required. The versatile and low-profile QSC S52 surfacemount loudspeakers are cost effective and more than adequate for background music. QSC PLD amplification is rock solid reliable.

The TV system is processed though a Resi Linx fourchannel HD modulator, providing HD signal to all the Hisense screens and allows easy control via the TV itself — simply tune into the signal with recourse to a Foxtel box.

Disco Doctors: 0423 141 384 or www.discodoctors.com.au Technical Audio Group (Martin Audio, QSC): (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au Jands (BSS): (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au

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BUILD: STRIPPED BACK

BIG PUB FUNDAMENTALS The Crafty is now a ‘big pub’ on the Melbourne hospitality scene. And as Craig Ellison points out it joins some really quite elite company. “There aren’t many pubs in Melbourne when you think about it,” muses Craig. “At least compared to Sydney, where there’s a pub on every corner.

“Pubs are a long-term investment. Long after that small bar has come and gone, the corner pub will live on. And that also means you have to ride the ups and downs, and not get too spooked by fashion.

“I firmly believe that pubs’ fortunes are determined by venue managers. A pub is a pub and as long as its run well it’ll get the sales it deserves.

You might find that competition opens up and hurts you for a period but it should correct itself with the right management. The Imperial Hotel wasn’t doing well and then Joe Baily came along and righted it. Joe’s moved to Crafty Squire and now our current manager Steve Schreuder has taken it to another level. We’ve not changed much, so the only variable is the guy running it.

“Now that we’re with the Dixon Hospitality Group we’re part of a large group of pubs that all complement each other. They’re a good asset to have and I think we’ll see a real resurgence in the pub market. It’s good. Good for us!”

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pubs’ fortunes are determined by venue managers. A pub is a pub and as long as its run well it’ll get the sales it deserves.

RAMVEK

Open Door Pub Group and now Dixon Hospitality Group has long partnered with commercial construction specialists Ramvek on its venue builds.

The Crafty Squire required an extensive demolition and new build — the site was gutted back to the brickwork and facade. Without any heritage overlay, Ramvek and Dixon were given carte blanche to get the job done quickly.

“We look at our investment on a square metre basis,” explains Dixon COO Craig Ellison. “We spent about half what we did per square metre on The Duke but we’re very happy with the finish.

“Ramvek is all about getting the job done well. It’s not about the variations, it’s about getting the job done. Even when we’ve had the occasional problem that inevitably arises in any job, they come and just get it fixed. They’re easy to work with and they’re very creative about how they get the job done.

“For example, we’re increasingly looking to Ramvek to finish more of the furniture. They did the high bars and the banquettes in the Crafty Squire, which we’re very pleased with.”

Ramvek Project Manager Andrew Shelton and his team had a few curve balls to deal with (some asbestos) and some upstairs surprises to demolish, thanks to a shady ex-tenant (Santa Fe Gold strip club left some pole dancing infrastructure along with some dodgy rooms with cameras and mirrors that had the guys scratching their heads). But overall the build was as routine as one could hope for, Ramvek riding the customary construction gotchas and changes of scope with grace and aplomb. The Crafty was handed over on time, as promised, for the AFL grand final.

Ramvek (Builder): (03) 9794 9342 or www.ramvek.com.au DC Group + Newline Design: (03) 9521 4144 or newlinedesign.com.au

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COLD DRIP TRIP Barista & Cook: 834 Bourke St, Waterloo NSW (02) 8399 1234 or baristaandcook.com.au

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e check in on Alan Thompson, owner of Barista & Cook, about the design of his new ‘dream café’.

“I was originally looking for a warehouse to convert into a café, but when this site (the exHurricanes Express in Waterloo) came up for Barista & Cook, I knew it was the right place. A space that felt airy and open without feeling too empty — I wanted something that was big and light, but at the same time would feel intimate. The location also played a big part in my decision.

It’s a wonderful corner site on busy Bourke St, with high windows all around and natural light streaming in.

“My brief to Giant Design was to give the place a Scandinavian feel using natural materials, textures, and tones. I wanted a welcoming space with a soft touch, lots of white and utilising the natural light streaming in. I always think people feel their most comfortable and relaxed in spaces that are simple, light and clean. The site is huge so I wanted various styles of seating to break the place up, lots of plants to soften the space and to bring the outside in. I wanted it to feel like a homely space, so it was important to get the seating right, and Giant really nailed that. It was actually a challenge to fill the sheer height and volume of the space. To do this, we hung plants from hooks

Contact Giant Design: (02) 8045 2950 or giantdesign.com

all through the open rafter system, which we painted all white.

“Everything was chosen with a clean, natural look in mind: the tables are a natural sanded hardwood with a matte finish, the cushions are linen with tan leather seating — in terms of new elements, upholstery was key — and there is timber slatted wall panelling. The bench top is made to look like a butcher’s block, using individual squares of wood with the grain facing up. We brought in a mosaic tile as a feature element, as well as rustic hand-glazed rippled tiles for the huge columns.

“It really is my dream café. I stand in there every day and look around at this beautiful space and it brings a genuine smile to my face.”

Chris Wilks from Giant Design describes how the site ‘saw the light’: “The main challenge was to de-brand the old site, which was a night-time, fast food space — dark and industrial.

We needed something a lot lighter and fresher, so changing everything that was once black to white was a no-brainer!

“What we have now at Barista & Cook is straddling two genres — industrial/warehouse, and Scandi. It does retain that warehouse feel so it gives the Scandi vibe something more Australian, less feminine. It’s comfortable and clean, but not too minimal.”

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CABIN FEVER Hunter & Barrel Eastlands Shopping Centre, Ringwood VIC hunterandbarrel.com

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unter & Barrel — food and wine; it’s a heady and dependable mix. The look is one of an upmarket shooter’s cottage in the wilds of Bavaria (rather than the Shop R04 of Westfield). It’s a convincing conversion that provides interest and comfort.

The venue was designed by One Design Office (ODO) and constructed by Tú Projects.

The selected finishes include reclaimed timbers, burnished steel, worn leather, powdercoated steel, rocks and bricks. A range of timbers were used with thanks to Urban Salvage and Time4Timber, both playing a big part in providing raw slabs and recycled timber options.

You’ve gotta love the deer graphic in the private dining room. According to ODO the deer print was its way of graphically representing the theme in a bold, yet restrained way. The slatted timber walls gives an immediate feeling of intrigue.

Perhaps the audience is peering in from the log cabin or perhaps through a forest — either way you are drawn in to catch

Contact Tú Projects: (03) 9421 1923 or www.tuprojects.com One Design Office: (03) 9988 2898 or www.odo.co

a glimpse of the mighty stag. From a functional sense the screen also acts as a privacy barrier for small groups.

OVER A BARREL Other elements such as the green wall were used to soften and break up the space by integrating a natural aspect to the venue. Every detail, from the leather chairs to the hanging branches and even the use of antlers turns up the log cabin dial further and who doesn’t have fun in a log cabin, I ask you.

The build program ran for seven weeks and in that time the Tú team worked to retain all the carefully observed detail in the ODO brief. From design to build a wide range of stakeholders were involved inclusive of interior designers, graphics designers, the marketing team, the chef and the operations manager. The result is a venue with a strong identity that looks the part.

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WEST IS BEST West Village: 30 Terminus Street, Petersham NSW: (02) 9569 4675 or www.westvillagesydney.com.au

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etersham pub favourite, The White Cockatoo, has undergone a significant transformation and reopened as West Village. The project is the first by Goodtime Hospitality, a new group co-owned by entrepreneur James Bodel and Locky Paech (ex The Norfolk, The Forresters).

Located directly opposite the Petersham train station, West Village combines the warmth and familiarity of a local pub with an attention to detail, style and design.

Designer Alexander and Co. has breathed life back into this 130 year old building, creating a number of spaces for drinkers and diners to explore including a luscious indoor/ outdoor courtyard and a sports bar. Using original structural elements such as heritage ceilings, concealed archways and old brickwork as a source of inspiration for key feature elements, the venue pays homage to its rich history while presenting a modern-day neighbourhood oasis to enjoy.

The modern Australian pub menu has been created by Locky Paech & Chef Sam Thomson (ex Catalina) and fea-

tures small and large share plates as well as a generous selection of salads, mains and sides.

There will also be a separate bar food menu which features your daily pub staples including fish and chips ($22), cheeseburger ($18) and chicken schnitzel ($20) as well as rotating specials for burger of the day, sandwich of the day, and curry of the day.

Andrew Jamieson Wine Merchants has created the wine menu, which is an all-Australian offering of predominately NSW wines. A range of cocktails will be served in bespoke bottles along with Negroni on tap and a large selection of craft beer.

Patio, a pub-café style sub-brand of the group, will launch later this year within the West Village courtyard, with a breakfast offering from 7-11am. Seconds away from the station, this is the perfect spot to drop in for a coffee or takeaway grab-and-go style breakfast for the commute to work. Patio will then double as the pub’s courtyard for lunch and dinner.

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PERFECTLY ORIENTED Saké Flinders Lane: 121 Flinders Lane, Melbourne VIC 1300 670 910 or www.sakerestaurant.com.au Story: Christopher Holder Photos: Nicole England

Melissa Collison Interior Design: melissacollison.com.au

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Contacts

aké is a part of a what is now a huge hospitality juggernaut.

Urban Purveyor Group may have started as John Szangolies’ lovechild in The Rocks but is now big business. The group was last year bought by private equity powerhouse, Quadrant Private Equity; turns over $200m per annum; and is quite possibly the biggest restaurant group in Australia.

There are now five Sakés in Australia. Saké Flinders Lane is the second in Melbourne (the other is at Hamer Hall), while there are two in Sydney and a Brisbane branch.

Saké can be described as ‘modern Japanese’, that much is obvious, but from there it’s harder to categorise. The reason for this is as surprising as it is delightful: each outlet runs as a semi-autonomous business.

When Saké Flinders Lane Executive chef Jean Paul Lourdes was head hunted from his latest gig in Miami, he immediately set about making the menu his own. Jean Paul is one qualified

gent, he’s not signing on to be head cook, whipping up by-thenumbers Saké staples.

Saying that, there are Saké Signature dishes. But these dishes aren’t etched into the menu by Urban Purveyor’s top brass like the 10 Commandments, they’re decided on by a Saké executive chef high council. I love the thought of these creative, super-competitive über-chefs coming together to decide which dishes should be inducted into the Signature hall of fame.

Chatting to Saké’s National Brand General Manager, Christian Price, I was starting to get a sense of how Saké maintains its slightly ‘dangerous’ edge despite the strictures of being (potentially) just another cog in a much bigger corporate machine, namely: give managers, chefs and bar managers some license; use their local knowledge; use their personal flair.

GENTLY DOWN THE LANE Saké Flinders Lane resides in one of the most prized restaurant leaseholds in Melbourne. Flinders Lane represents the epicentre of cool dining. Chin Chin is next door… nuff said. Flinders Lane manages to combine the essence of late-night ‘cool Melbourne’ and retain proximity to an endless resource of long-lunch suits.

Saké’s site is ideal. The main floor accommodates restaurant dining. Downstairs is a generously proportioned lounge bar where a DJ will spin smooth cuts well into the night while carousers nibble on casual dining options and sip on a lemongrass-infused umeshu cocktail (or something equally interesting). Downstairs also provides a private dining option for 20, and an exceptional outdoor dining space (that receives full menu privileges from upstairs). In other words, the space ticks all the boxes.

Woody P (see last issue) only recently occupied the site, but had one of those sad/inexplicable ‘dead on arrival’ hospitality

disasters. Apparently Woody P left the building like the rapture. It was as if staff had downed tools mid shift, mid sitting, mid sentence. Very little was extracted or pawned.

Urban Purveyor Group jumped all over it — ‘let’s see…

Flinders Lane, late-night liquor license…?’ — and called in the Urban Purveyor Group’s fitout swat team.

FITOUT SWAT TEAM The UPG fitout team never stops moving. After Saké Flinders Lane they were back up to Sydney, then as you read this they’re probably working on the old Comme site in Melbourne CBD. It means they’re a well oiled machine and not phased when no-compromise deadlines loom like a Marco Pierre White saucepan to the scone.

Naturally the restaurant was completed in time for the launch and with the help of some Melissa Collison Interior Design, looks amazing.

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GLAM I AM Glamorama: 393 Brunswick St, Fitzroy VIC (03) 9419 6380 or www.glamoramabar.com Story: Christopher Holder

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promoter, a tour manager, a venue manager and an event booker walk into a bar. They look at each other and say, almost as one, ‘we’ll take it’.

The venue in question has transformed into Glamorama: an upstairs bar, restaurant and nightclub in Brunswick St, Fitzroy.

Most of the cadre of partners already have another small bar under their belt (Prahran’s Less Than Zero) and were looking to use Glamorama to fill a niche for which they had a passion and considerable expertise — electronic music.

There was nothing like it in the inner north of Melbourne.

And with all the in-house professional experience, Glamorama could potentially bring in high-profile artists and DJs, here and abroad, without the usual additional promotion and management costs.

The guys were intent on doing Glamorama properly. The bar offering is perfectly curated. The food is exemplary. And to present electronic music in all its formidable power you

have to push the boat out on the audio investment. With all their collective experience, the owners knew this instinctively and after due diligence pulled the trigger on a Funktion-One PA with Adam Ward of Full Throttle Entertainment providing the audio design and installation services [see the audio box item for more]. As, Jeremy Koadlow, one of the venue’s directors put it: “The audio was the single biggest expense. But it needed to be.”

PERFECTLY CHALLENGING venue sat down with Jeremy Koadlow to talk some more about

the Glamorama launch and the unique challenges of running such a venue.

“The reason we took this space is because it’s a hard space to take.”

Please explain?

“It’s a unique space with a unique license that creates a

GLAM ROCK: AUDIO INSTALL

“Spending a lot of money on expensive whisky doesn’t mean you necessarily have a bar full of amazing whisky, just expensive whisky,” reflects Glamorama director, Jeremy Koadlow. “In the same way, we could have potentially bought an even more expensive PA, but we chose Funktion-One because we felt comfortable that Adam Ward knew our business, which made us confident that not only were we getting an expensive PA but a great PA.” The PA is a doozy. A left/right combo of Evo 6 fullrange three-way cabs and BR221 21-inch bass reflex subs. Funktion-One’s founder, audio guru Tony Andrews, is famous in the audio biz for his work with hornloading. These subs are front firing boxes. Full Throttle’s Adam Ward explains: “hornloading is great but can take some distance for the the lows to fully develop — perfect for festivals or rock concerts but not a luxury smaller venues have. So the BR221 was developed and has been a very popular box as a result.” It’s the first BR221 sold in Australia.

The PA is extraordinarily capable and when combined with the MC2 Audio power amps can be run monstrously loud. Glamorama has neighbours that ensure the system only ever purrs away. Saying that, the distortion-free, smooth sound is most certainly powerful — the smoothness belies the true sound pressure, much like an enormous audiophile hi-fi.

The MC2 Audio power amps and XTA speaker processing are racked conspicuously in the stairwell entrance, providing a statement to patrons: we take our audio seriously.

Elsewhere, Funktion-One F81 surfacemount speakers are dotted about, split into three zones. Next, 12-inch subs will soon supplement the F81 sound. The smaller install subs will fill out the room sound when the venue is in restaurant/cocktail mode when the big-arse subs are barely ticking over.

The DJ booth is given due reverence, as you’d expect for a venue that takes its music so seriously. A pair of Funktion-One R1 two-way monitors supply foldback.

The booth itself is suspended from the ceiling to negate mechanical vibrations from the dancefloor. Lead shot and a concrete slab under the decks ensure stability.

Contacts Full Throttle Entertainment: 0408 477 547 or award@hearnoevil.com.au Funktion-One: www.funktion-one.com CMI (MC2 Audio): (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au

unique set of problems and a unique array of opportunities.

But that’s what we specialise in.”

Hmm, still confused?

Glamorama is perfectly positioned in a vibrant late-night precinct full of creatives and people who care about quality performance and quality sound. Saying that, it is upstairs and a little too easy for people to walk straight past.

Glamorama has a 5am license, which is solid gold and virtually impossible to win on any new application. Perfect. Saying that, it is surrounded by refurbed warehouse apartments full of locals who would rather not have sub 50Hz sound rolling through their conversions like a subsonic tsunami.

I think I see what Jeremy is saying. Glamorama is perfect, but also perfectly challenging. A little like a surfer’s perfect point break, you have to be prepared to die on the rocks to paddle out to the ride of your life.

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GOLD STAR Jupiters Hotel & Casino Casino Drive, Broadbeach Island QLD

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ith the renewal of Jupiters Hotel & Casino well underway, two flagship restaurants continue to charm diners from the local Gold Coast and beyond.

Kiyomi and Cucina Vivo, both designed by Sydney’s Luchetti Krelle in collaboration with US architects Steelman Partners, were shortlisted for prizes at the International Restaurant & Bar Design Awards last year.

The two restaurants represent different parts of the globe.

Kiyomi is Japanese with a strong emphasis on dark hues and natural materials, and with the added neon sparkle of a feature artwork. “The traditional Japanese motifs representing the seasons were applied to sawn timber to balance the use of carved stone and steel, while artist Que Houxo’s fluorescent mural brings a modern twist and burst of colour to a restrained palette,” say designers Stuart Krelle and Rachel Luchetti, who used custom furniture to bring an artisan edge to the space, reflecting what they describe as the “Japanese approach to design and making”.

“A recognisable Japanese pattern is etched into the granite wall panels in the bar,” the designers continue. “The custom carpet design features the ginkgo leaf in a subtle way.”

COAST TO COAST Cucina Vivo, on the other hand, evokes the dreamy sunshine and sea spray of Italy’s Amalfi Coast, with its natural light and shades of pale blue. “The terrace design was heavily influenced by places we had stayed on the Italian Riviera,” say the designers. “The garden furniture, umbrellas and posts conjure up a relaxed coastal atmosphere with the air of sophistication found in seaside resorts.”

The designers used contrasting approaches to the materials in the two spaces. “In Kiyomi it’s all about natural materials with honest detailing,” say Krelle and Luchetti. “Timber, stone and metal handled with care and precision. In Vivo, the rustic materials of tile, concrete and travertine are teamed with marble and trimmed with brass to create a more polished look.”

Building restaurants into the specific context of a casino requires paying extra attention to the durability of what you’re creating, say the designers, as well as ensuring safety in design.

THE PADDINGTON

Merivale Group, Sydney

24 Moons Alumbra The Arthouse Hotel Australian Outback Spectacular The Bank Hotel The Botanical Bungalow 8 Brisbane Hotel (Perth) Club Marconi Discovery Establishment Half Moon Hornsby RSL Ivy Katuk Kudu Lounge Luxe Bar The Mean Fiddler The Met Oxford Art Factory Slip Inn

FROM VEGAS WITH LOVE Steelman Partners, based in Las Vegas and specialising in casinos and resorts, designed the new Jupiters premises, including the restaurant interiors. Luchetti Krelle’s task was to interpret this design for a local market and find the right furniture and fittings for the setting.

“The Gold Coast is a real melting pot of locals, overseas tourists and weekend holiday makers from around Australia,” say Krelle and Luchetti. “There is a light-hearted approach to dining that suits the laid back lifestyle of Queenslanders.

The indoor/outdoor feel that has been created at Vivo with the extension and addition of the outdoor terrace perfectly captures this.”

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BIG INVESTMENT Jupiters Managing Director Queensland Geoff Hogg says the casino and resort’s $75m refurbishment of its 592 hotel rooms

is one of the largest in Australian history. The total investment in dining, suites and gaming includes a new six-star luxury hotel suite tower, and will come to $345m. The entire project will be complete by the end of this year.

“Food experiences are a massive tourism drawcard and over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a noticeable change in the way our guests want to dine,” Hogg continues, adding that Jupiters’ restaurants are attracting many people from the local area and beyond who are not necessarily stepping into the premises to gamble. “They want to experience everything the coast is famous for — to taste the iconic flavours of the Gold Coast, celebrate the city’s vibrant atmosphere and draw inspiration from the surrounding natural elements — while still indulging in life’s little luxuries.”

“Jupiters’ newest dining experiences are uniquely Gold Coast in every way.”

Luchetti Krelle: (02) 9699 3425 or www.luchettikrelle.com.

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Save a packet on a yearly subscription by acting now issue sixty three 2016 C o l l e f i a n s • G l a m o r a m a • Th e Pa d d i n g t o n • B i r d ' s B a s e m e n t

Collegians: Where Big Club Meets Small Bar Cool Retail Savvy Group: My Way or Highway Glamorama: Unique Suburban Bar Challenge The Paddington: Merivale Turns to Rotisserie Bird’s Basement: Oz’s Answer to Birdland Saké Flinders Lane: Another Non-Conformist

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subscribe online: www.venue.net.au Saké Flinders Lane: Another Non-Conformist Bird’s Basement: Oz’s Answer to Birdland The Paddington: Merivale Turns to Rotisserie Glamorama: Unique Suburban Bar Challenge Retail Savvy Group: My Way or Highway Collegians: Where Big Club Meets Small Bar Cool

STORIED SOUVA SHED Jimmy Grants Deluxe Eastland: 171 Maroondah Hwy, Ringwood VIC jimmygrants.com.au

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he quintessential Australian back shed has inspired the fifth incarnation of souvlaki restaurant, Jimmy Grants by George Calombaris.

Located at Eastland Shopping Centre, Ringwood, the restaurant is the latest Jimmy Grants fitout to be designed by Melbourne studio, Technē Architecture, following the footsteps of its stores in Fitzroy and Emporium.

Eastland is host to the first Jimmy Grants ‘Deluxe’ store, being larger than its sibling restaurants and featuring an extended menu and table service. The menu at Jimmy Grants concentrates on a fast yet modern version of the traditional Greek souva along with the popular garlic-oil fries served with feta and Greek doughnuts baked made in-house.

The design of each Jimmy Grants location represents a different part of the fictional character’s migration story. For Eastland, the brief was to design a space that references a back shed but with a modern twist. To give the space a shedlike structural feel, Technē has incorporated wooden trusses across the ceilings, which can be seen from the street through the higher-level glazing. Fibreglass embedded

Contact Techné Architecture + Interior Design: (03) 9600 0222 or techne.com.au

polycarbonate lines sections of walls and roof, creating a contemporary contrast and feel. At night, when the space is illuminated from within, light is diffused through the polycarbonate making the space glow with warmth.

To maintain continuity between the various Jimmy Grants locations, each store features varying shades of blue throughout the interiors. At Eastland, the traditional blue tones are boldly contrasted with a shade of orange on the bar stools and tables.

“We placed subtle, rustic furnishes throughout the space to evoke the feeling of a back shed, including suitcases, trays of bottles, tools, watering cans and an old accordion,” says Technē director Nick Travers. “Every chapter of Jimmy’s story has a certain panache, so it was important that we collaborated with the client to tell the story, while still making the space stylish, and comfortable and inspired.”

The result is an environment that replicates the feeling of Melbourne’s inner city among Ringwood’s new open-air hospitality precinct, ‘Town Square’, in the newly redeveloped Eastland Shopping Centre.

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TAKING FLIGHT Bird’s Basement: 11 Singers Ln, Melbourne VIC www.birdsbasement.com

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azz in Melbourne traditionally falls into a couple of distinct categories: cheap ’n’ grungy local jazz or expensive concert hall, international jazz. Musician and property developer, Albert Dadon saw a third way: establishing a jazz club that presents top draw artists in an intimate environment — the way live jazz is meant to be appreciated.

It’s not a unique insight but it’s traditionally been tough to achieve when you’re half a world away from the best international jazz musicians. Albert took his cue from the world’s best known jazz club, Birdland.

Birdland reopened in the mid ‘80s after a 20-odd year hiatus and is now a super-slick operation, with a dinner and show session, a late evening session and even an afternoon session.

The food and service is of the finest quality and the venue enjoys year-round success.

Albert Dadon, is a long-time fan. And now he’s a ‘partner’.

Bird’s Basement has inked a strategic partnership with Birdland and has gone a long way to emulating the Birdland business model: the ‘dinner and a show’ top-notch F&B offering, relaxed/intimate environment and top quality audio.

Still, it’s a punt. There’s nothing like Bird’s Basement in Australia. And the primo, grownup club-style appreciation of jazz

could potentially have been just a little too sophisticated for local audiences to make it a regular night out.

Thankfully, we needn’t have worried. Melbourne has adopted Bird’s Basement as a natural addition to its music and dining culture.

Speaking to Albert Dadon there’s very little of the fastmoving/talking, dealmaking opportunist you might expect of a property developer. But he is sitting on a significant parcel of Melbourne real estate at the heart of the currently underappreciated Flagstaff Gardens precinct. As he points out, Melbourne’s centre of gravity is moving his way, thanks, in large part, to the imminent Queen Victoria Markets redevelopment.

While Bird’s Basement maintains the jazz faith day in and out, Albert will be building an adjacent hotel property, which he says will be complete in the first half of 2018.

I mentioned Albert Dadon doesn’t present as a smooth-talking property spruiker, rather, you have a sense of smart bloke with an instinctive love of jazz, a highly talented musician, and true believer, in it for the long haul. “I’m not an opportunist,” he commented to me in our interview. “Everything I do isn’t for short term gain.” Still, it’s encouraging to see a project with its heart in the right place making such a strong start.

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Bird’s Basement has inked a strategic partnership with Birdland ... emulating the Birdland business model

THE SOUND OF JAZZ

Getting a jazz venue right takes considerable sympathy for the audience and the music. Jazz is best appreciated in intimate venues where you can see the blood vessel in the temple of the flugelhorn player pulsate, the beads of sweat on the forehead of the pianist and the generally unhinged look in the eye of the drummer. The sound reinforcement should follow suit.

There should be no separation between the audience and the performers.

This means the audio shouldn’t be affronting but simply complementary.

Joe Petrolo knows live jazz, has toured with Albert Dadon in the past, and was anointed as Bird’s Basement head tech early in the piece — he worked on the project since the initial architectural drawings. Initially he saw challenges: “The stage sits in the middle of a wide, shallow room. The sound booth is only a few strides from the front of the stage, yet there’s a lot of space to fill to the left and right of the stage. The brief was to keep a clean look and for every part of the venue to enjoy great sound.”

Joe spoke to Factory Sound’s Installations Manager Jonathan Sinclair who oversaw the install. The big ticket items are a Nexo PA, Digico S21 mixing console, and a high quality microphone package. Nexo Geo S speakers fire forward and PS10 point source speakers fill the sides. The full-range PA is mounted in the truss above the stage, while the Nexo L600 subs are dynabolted into the concrete of the ceiling. Regardless of where you sit, you will enjoy a stereo image, while small-format Nexo Geo M620 are used as fills and delays to ensure an even balance across the whole room.

The S21 is a brand new console from Digico — cost effective yet hugely capable. The mixer was purchased on the promise of an iPad control app, which is still on the way. With the booth being so close to the stage, the idea is for Joe to patrol the room while remotely finetuning the sound.

The mics are a combination of the Sennheiser evolution series and classics such as AKG414s on the piano, ElectroVoice Re20s on brass, Shure SM57s, and Neumann KM184s as drum overheads. “The overhead mics are often the most important on stage,” observed Joe Petrolo. “Unlike a rock sound, which is all kick and close-miked toms and snare, jazz is often the sound of a pair of overheads and a little bit of bass drum.”

Joe works with funkier hiphop-style jazz as well, which are heavy on breaks/samples but more often the sound of jazz is about putting each audience member on the stage with the performers, sharing that intimacy.

Bird’s Basement has its priorities right. When an international jazz musician walks into the venue he or she can breathe a sigh of relief — from a technical perspective they know they’ll be well looked after.

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Factory Sound: www.factorysound.com Sennheiser: www.sennheiser.com.au Group Technologies (Digico, Nexo): www.grouptechnologies.com.au Hills (AKG): www.hills.com.au Jands (Shure): www.jands.com.au

BACK IN STYLES Ibis Styles Brisbane 40 Elizabeth St, Brisbane QLD

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bis Styles Elizabeth Street is a new kind of hotel for Brisbane, taking design cues from the natural surroundings while celebrating the evolving urban flavour of the city and welcoming the sharp, switched-on traveller.

The hotel with its 368 sunny rooms is brand new, the result of a $100m investment by Action Hotels and designed

by Group GSA and architects Fender Katsalidis. It’s right in the Brisbane CBD. Ibis Styles is the ‘premium economy’ arm of Accor and Action Hotels Ibis family, which also includes Ibis and Ibis Budget.

General Manager Mat Finch says that Ibis Styles’ design focus and all-inclusive approach to service sets it apart. “It’s very much centred around the personality of each individual property,” he explains. “So it’s non-standardised, which means that each individual hotel has the freedom to design the product and the guest experience around unique local elements, as opposed to being directed from a brand perspective.”

Vivid, punchy colours are everywhere inside Ibis Styles Elizabeth St: bright pink on the walls, rainbow swirling on the hallway carpets, pixelated panels in the lounge, liquorice all sortsinspired headboards in the rooms. A contemporary angular sculpture by artist Dion Horstmans hangs in the entrance.

In The Social, the hotel’s mezzanine restaurant, anyone can enjoy all-day dining in an open-plan space with exposed brick and stencilled artworks, and play vintage board games while enjoying the view to the buzzing surrounding alleyways.

Katrina Miranda, Associate at Group GSA, describes how the hotel is very much inspired by its northern location. “Brisbane-esque references are interwoven throughout the interiors by way of graphics, colour, fittings and furniture to create

CONTACTS Group GSA: (03) 9416 5088 or www.groupgsa.com Fender Katsalidis: (03) 8696 3888 or www.fkaustralia.com Godfrey Hirst (Carpet): www.godfreyhirst.com Zenith Interiors (Furniture): 1300 013 013 or www.zenithinteriors.com/au

a very relaxed, playful, outdoor vibe,” she explains. “There is a bird graphic in the Dining Area, which references the Australian White Ibis — a bird frequently found around Brisbane. The custom corridor carpet on each Guest Room floor is based on a pixelated, abstract birds-eye view of the Brisbane City Centre.” The red of the landscape, the green of the bush and the blue of the ocean all feature widely inside. Group GSA also spent considerable time integrating graphics into the interiors concept, to add a bespoke energy to each space.

Miranda explains that in a hotel for this particular market, the most important design considerations are the connectivity of the guest experience in terms of entertainment, lighting to facilitate an all-day guest experience and, also, signage.

“Clear wayfinding and signage and easy-to-navigate areas are essential,” she says. “With both domestic and international guests, visual cues, clever wayfinding and signage, and intuitive space planning are key to creating a leisurely and enjoyable guest experience and need to be understood by both domestic and international guests.”

The typical Ibis Styles guest chooses their hotel carefully, Finch explains, and is “independent and confident” while having a good eye for individual design. “We have a slightly younger demographic, who are very in touch with experiences rather than purpose,” he continues. Finch says that travellers increasingly want to experience the urban and exciting Brisbane city, rather than just the great outdoors and beloved tourist traps.

“So where Ibis Styles fits in, we’ve really pitched the hotel at the premium economy segment,” he adds. “It’s targeting a section of the market that’s not really catered for in Brisbane.”

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Pier to Pier Ovolo’s $20m refresh is a work of art.

Story: Lucie Robson Ovolo Woolloomooloo 6 Cowper Wharf Roadway, Woolloomooloo NSW (02) 9331 9000 or www.ovolohotels.com/Woolloomooloo

D

own on the 100-year old finger wharf in picturesque Woolloomooloo, a new hotel has docked. On the edge of the navy ships and the expanse of the sparkling harbour, Ovolo Woolloomooloo has smart TVs in its boutique, city-view rooms, artwork in almost every eyeline and deluxe rock star suites for those who really want to party like it’s 1999.

The Hong Kong-based Ovolo company now operates three hotels in Australia. International design firm Hassell, led by Senior Associate Matthew Sheargold, was enlisted. Hassell had previously designed Ovolo Laneways in Melbourne.

The wharf is a huge timber structure with busy restaurants along one side, and a public thoroughfare within. Ovolo Woolloomooloo occupies a quarter of the length. Key to Hassell’s design approach was activating the large space and making it feel welcome to hotel guests and casual passersby alike.

Until the year 2000 the wharf was largely abandoned. It first became the W Hotel, then the Blue Hotel by Taj Group which sold it to Ovolo for $32m.

Ovolo has now sunk a further $20m into refreshing its investment.

Sheargold felt the previous hotels hadn’t added enough excitement to the unique space. The wharf became a canvas for something new. “There was a huge opportunity to inject a whole lot of life into that space,” he explains.

“It was a bit of a wind tunnel. It was also a huge space, so the volume of the space really dwarfs people. It’s hot in summer, it’s cold in winter. So there’s a lot of challenges going on, and the biggest one was this: how do we activate the space and draw people back in?”

YOU’VE ARRIVED

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Hassell worked from the outside in, crafting the guest journey from the point of arrival at the taxi stand. “There were no triggers to indicate you’d arrived at a hotel,” Sheargold says. “We brought an entry rug out to the street along with lighting, planting, signage,” he continues. “And it’s an open space, and anyone can walk through there, but all these triggers are now there to announce you’ve arrived at a hotel.”

The entrance hall features trees festooned with fairy lights and a mix of different shades and textures in the light fittings and loose furniture. A cluster of silver eggs hang high from the ceiling, referencing the ‘ovo’ in the hotel’s name — new life/rebirth. In the hallways are housekeeping cabinets decorated with colourful graffiti. Eye-catching details abound amid the original industrial wooden elements.

The design team began activating the atrium space. They added a new concierge facility in the lower lobby and relocated the reception desk to the top of the entry stairs. Then came the three huge pavilions, 3.5m high: one for reception, one as a living room and one for the dining area or ‘kitchen table’.

“In addition to housing those functions, they help us manage the scale of the space, so guests are no longer just sitting in this cavernous void of an atrium,” Sheargold explains. “Which can be really overpowering. So there are options now. You can sit in a much more intimate space and still enjoying the heritage value of the building.” As the wharf is heritage listed and can’t be substantially altered, the pavilions provide walls for art, as well as space for lighting, heating and cooling. And they make the place more interesting. “Treating it like a laneway really has connected it in a much stronger way to the building,” says Sheargold, who names the atrium as his favourite part of the finished product. “We literally created a tree-lined little avenue.”

FRANTICALLY EFFORTLESS Ovolo’s slogan is ‘effortless living’, described by General Manager Adam Taloni thus: “It means you just arrive and relax. It means everything you could possibly need as our hotel guest is already ready for you as soon as you step in.” When one checks into the Ovolo, everything is included — breakfast, minibar and entertainment.

Guests enjoy a full audiovisual environment with integrated smart TVs and bluetooth speakers. On the top floor are two special penthouse splitlevel suites, named for rock bands INXS and AC/DC. These feature the

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BEAT IN THE BUSH

The key AV challenge was to bring some musical atmosphere into the huge lobby space, while complying with the strictures of the heritage listing — leave the Ryobi in the van, as you’re not screwing anything into the historical timbers. The head electrical contractor was Alland Group which worked closely with the builder, Sphere. CAVS was engaged for the specialist AV job of installing the background music system. Chris Smith and his team knew they had a tricky task ahead of them with the limited availability of loudspeaker positions — the solution was really quite ingenious.

The client required seven separate audio zones. A music server connected to a digital zone controller and DSP unit (a Biamp Tesira), on into Crown CTi amplifiers powering Electrovoice EViD surfacemount speakers. Easy-to-use Biamp wall-panel volume controllers are dotted about, while a password-protected AMX 10-inch touchpanel provides mothership control of all the zones. A Williams Sound infrared hearing augmentation system ensures the lobby is compliant with the relevant regulations.

And how did CAVS negotiate the speaker placement problem? By mounting some of the larger EViD loudspeakers in the lobby trees! Like I said, ingenious.

CAVS: (02) 9648 0583 or www.cavs.net.au Alland Group: 1300 255 263 or www.alland.com.au Bosch (Electrovoice): 1300 026 724 or sales.communications@au.bosch.com Hills (Biamp, Williams Sound): 1800 720 000 or www.hills.com.au

best city views, a dancefloor, cocktail bars and huge showers to share with your groupies.

The new function facilities (completed as we were going to press) will be flexible, and a “mix of old and new”, according to Taloni.

BRIGHT, YOUNG & AWARE Ovolo’s branding embraces what is bright, young and aware. “They’ve got a really lovely young energy, and we’ve carried that through in the palette, the artwork packaging, and there’s over a thousand pieces of art in that hotel,” Sheargold says. Asked whether the tone is rock ’n’ roll and generally informal, he agrees. “And it’s funny, because sometimes ‘informal’ can have a connotation of being a bit lax, but they’re so professional. Professional but relaxed and fun and really very nice.”

The opportunity to express such branding on a uniquely antique structure was exciting for Hassell. “So much of our detailing is born out of the building’s original details, and then we’ve given them a contemporary twist,” Sheargold adds. “Every detail, we’re looking at the building and then we’re looking through an Ovolo filter.”

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CONTACTS Hassell: (03) 8102 3000 or www.hassellstudio.com

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Axolotl Fly Florence Flag

Bolon By You

Axolotl is now flying the Florence Broadhurst flag with what it’s calling the Signature Design Archive — in metal, glass, concrete and timber products. Over 500 prints ranging from tapestries to geometrics, florals, psychedelic, and delightfully eccentric chinoiserie can now be transformed into laser cut screens, custom entry doors, feature walls and more.

Axolotl has showcase examples of how Florence Broadhurst designs can be used with Axolotl’s semi precious metals, concrete, laser cut screens and Link glass.

The Bolon By You collection consists of six patterns of diverse character — Weave, Geometric, Dot, Lace, Grid and Stripe — from these, a wide spectrum of visual identities can be created. From graphic, linear expressions to organic, softer forms and playful elements, Bolon By You encourages designers to explore and create. The collection features 12 new weft colours not available in any other Bolon standard collection. These represent a wide palette, from light pastel shades to vibrant, confident primary colours and darker, more sober tones.

Axolotl: (02) 9666 1207 or www.axolotl.com.au The Andrews Group: (03) 9827 1311 or www.bolon.com.au

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Copine Chair

Ton Leaf Collection

Copine Collection is a sleek and modern design, suitable for any commercial and hospitality space.

The seat and back are contoured for comfort in a fine plywood veneer. The legs are matching solid wood and are subtly flared and sturdily framed in powder-coated steel. Pricing starts from $397 per chair, in either American White Oak, American Walnut or black.

The Leaf Collection chair from Ton features a moulded plywood seat and backrest fixed to a bent solid wood frame. The shape of the seat of the Leaf barstool is identical to that of the chairs only used in an opposing position. Leaf comes in an upholstered version with the stool in two heights. The table is connected with the Leaf chairs by a round detail on the ending of the upper legs.

Zenith Interiors: (02) 9114 8333 or www.zenithinteriors.com.au

James Richardson: 1800 812 440 or jamesrichardsonfurniture.com.au

Da Vinci Rustic

Luminare’s NY Style

Karndean Designflooring is introducing 14 new wood and 12 new stone designs to its popular Da Vinci collection. Popular for its narrow wood effect planks, deep bevel and smooth finish, the Da Vinci wood collection will be enhanced with 12 new ‘modern rustic’ designs. Heavily influenced by the trend towards reclaimed and repurposed materials in architecture and interior design, the 36- x 3-inch distressed look planks replicate the unique look that comes from the transformation of wood over time.

The Big Group’s Luminare event space in South Melbourne has recently had a Mim Design refit.

According to Mim Design Director Miriam Fanning the glamorous result was achieved with a refined palette of finishes that were deliberately restrained and simple. “The brief was to create a space that was sophisticated, glamorous, elegant yet simple, with only about five different materials used,” Ms Fanning said. Grazia and Co made the lounge furniture, sofas and lounge chairs, contributing to the vibe of ‘New York sophistication’.

Karndean: www.karndean.com Mim Design: (03) 9826 1266 or www.mimdesign.com.au Grazia & Co: (03) 9589 4398 or graziaandco.com.au

DEDICATED TO SPEECH Experience Simplicity with Speechline Digital Wireless

INTRODUCING SENNHEISER SPEECHLINE DIGITAL WIRELESS. The world’s first digital wireless microphone exclusively for speech.

No audio know-how is required – it’s already built in.

For more information visit sennheiser.com.au or freecall 1800 648 628

Python On Menu

Ministry Of Sound Atmos

Nobu Hotels and Eden Roc Resort Miami Beach have joined forces to develop the Nobu Hotel at Eden Roc Miami Beach. New York City-based El Media Group (EMG) was brought in to design and install a seamless audio system relying heavily on K-Array’s innovative audio products. Pictured is the Nobu restaurant, which has 12, half-metre KP52 Python loudspeakers integrated into rattan-covered columns and were combined with two 12-inch KMT12 subwoofers.

The world famous Ministry of Sound nightclub has installed 16 of Martin Audio’s new CDD15 (Coaxial Differential Dispersion) speakers in the ceiling of its premier dance room ‘The Box’, enabling the club to utilise Dolby Atmos sound technology. Dolby Atmos transforms music performances by allowing sound to move anywhere around a room, even overhead.

Technical Audio Group: (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au

National Audio: 1800 441 440 or www.nationalaudio.com.au

Beer’s Fizzy Acoustics

Tannoy’s Purple Patch

One of Antwerp’s most important landmarks, the Antwerp City Brewery, has been renovated and runs tours. The Experience Room where visitors could hear about beer had an issue, the acoustics were terrible. The answer lie in acoustic panels that could be unseen and unheard. Primacoustic panels fit the bill, with their high performance and the ability to colour match to suit the aesthetic of the space.

Mr. Purple, the rooftop bar and restaurant in NYC’s Hotel Indigo, features an audio system comprised of Tannoy loudspeakers and Lab Gruppen C Series amplifiers. Eight Tannoy VX 8.2s, powered by two Lab Gruppen C28:4s, are deployed. Additionally, four Tannoy VX 5.2s are used as fill speakers, located in a bookshelf in the bar.

Australis: (02) 9698 4444 or www.australismusic.com.au

Amber Technology: www.ambertech.com.au

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Coopers Malthouse X Factor The audio system in The Coopers Malthouse in Southbank, Melbourne, was over 10 years old and due for a technical upgrade.

The Malthouse consists of three theatres, rehearsal studios, meeting rooms, a bar and a café. The new system needed to be flexible and easily reconfigured as seating configurations would be changed depending on the performance.

“The new L-Acoustics X Series loudspeakers caught our eye, given their size, weight and the fact that they satisfied all our criteria,” says Baird McKenna, technical manager at Malthouse Theatre. “We were a little nervous at first, because they are a new range and this was possibly the first theatre installation in the world to use them, but the fantastic reliability of the previous L-Acoustics system gave us the confidence that they were the right choice.”

The new system comprises eight L-Acoustics X12 for main front of house sound, four X8 delays, six 5XT with two SB15M subs for front fill, and two SB18M subs in addition to the MTD subs from the previous system. Five LA4X amplified controllers power and control the system.

“It was one of these rare projects where everything fell into place. From resources funding through to implementation — the timing was perfect!” says Gerry Gavros, Brand Manager (Pro and Commercial Audio) at Hills Limited.

“The X Series delivers crystal clear vocal clarity throughout each of the theatres and is consistent across all audience areas,” says Baird. “An added advantage is that the X12, X8 and 5XT all work beautifully together — there is amazing tonal consistency across the three models.

Our sound operators are over the moon and find the system a joy to work with — it makes their shows really come to life.”

L-Acoustics: www.l-acoustics.com Hills: www.hills.com.au

TeamConnect:

Stress-free meetings.

THE ALL-IN-ONE AUDIO SOLUTION FOR MEETING ROOMS Audio Conferencing today can be a complex task.

To integrate different input sources into a reliably working conference setting one needs to provide fast and easy access, reliable signal processing and intelligible sound. TeamConnect changes the status quo for the better due to its exceptional ease of use. Designed as an all-in-one system for telephone and web conferencing it will simply perform – from set-up to every day operation. It’s a true plug-and-play solution for any business communication device.

Visit sennheiser.com /teamconnect or freecall 1800 648 628

Clay Paky Sharpy Orchestra

Stippled Porcelain Shines

More than 60 Clay Paky Sharpys were perfectly programmed to create a ‘light orchestra’ which interactively illuminated the Fraunhofer award ceremony. Lighting designer Björn Hermann was challenged with creating a light show that deviated from the norm and celebrated light in an unusual and eye-catching performance. To create the ‘orchestra’, Hermann specified 45x Clay Paky Sharpys, rigged centre stage, and a further 16x Sharpys on stage left and stage right.

Celina Clarke and Simon Christopher, co-founders of ISM Objects, have collaborated with local ceramicist Steven McClure to create the Stippled Porcelain range. Working to a brief that called for ‘a small pendant style shade that is, and appears to be, hand made’, McClure developed the Stippled Porcelain lighting range, which is available in four style: Cone, Slim, Squat and Crumpled. McClure selected Melbourne-made Southern Ice Porcelain for the pendants. “This particular porcelain cries out to be illuminated,” he says.

Show Technology: (02) 9748 1122 or www.showtech.com.au ISM Objects: 1300 888 646 or www.ismobjects.com.au

Decibel Sounds Good

Volker Haug OMG

Constructed from sound absorbing material and plantation timber, the Decibel can ease the affects of noise in condensed spaces. The large dome shape makes a reference to Get Smart’s Cone of Silence device. The Decibel is part of the Satelight’s Sound Seed range, designed to dampen noise and provide illumination. The Decibel collection can be customised upon request with quantity.

Volker Haug’s OMG lights were perfect for the Harajuku Gyoza restaurant fitout in Southbank Brisbane. OMG is created from crushed reclaimed industrial shades. With the aid of a forklift, blood sweat and tears, the OMG comes to life in an alluring range of anodised colours.

Satelight: (03) 9399 5805 or www.satelight.com.au

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Volker Haug: www.volkerhaug.com

All-in-One HD Digital Signage

DiVA

All-in-One Digital Signage.

Create. Schedule.

Built-in web-based tools with ready to use Playouts and Apps for single horizontal or vertical screens.

TM

All-in-One Digital Signage. Easier Than Ever Before.

The new DiVA has been engineered to make digital signage easier than ever before.

DiVA comes with built-in web tools for you to create your projects easily, and schedule instantly. With DiVA you can create horizontal or vertical playouts. Your native content will play seamlessly in any playout orientation. Quite simply, all you need is SpinetiX. Contact us on 1800 00 77 80 or go to www.madisontech.com.au/digital-signage

Vivarium Bangkok

Is this the most thriftiest You Wish on record? With a modest budget of only US$170k, this restaurant fitout demonstrates how creativity wins every time. The Bangkok restaurant is fittingly called Vivarium and designed by a Thai agency called Hypothesis.

If Vivarium reminds you of one of those fishtank terrariums, you’re on the right track. The design team had this in mind as it injected life and energy into the old truck factory warehouse with a lush greenscape of hanging plants that populate the upper volume of the double-height space.

Otherwise, there’s a lot of recycling and reuse. The majority of the existing structure (with a 600+sqm floor space) was kept unchanged but cleverly delineated from the new work with the use of colour — the old parts were kept in their original

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white whereas the new additions were painted with red rust protection primer. To minimise the renovation budget, Hypothesis employed found objects from around the site — iron doors, steel pipes, dead branches, and tree roots — as decorative interior elements, as well as using scaffolding structures, inspired by the ones previously existed on the site, as decorative shelves within the restaurant space.

Two big-time stars of Thailand’s <Iron Chef> TV program run the kitchen, pumping out Japanese/Thai fusion chow for tourists and well-to-do Thais. Drop by for a spicy salmon pizza next time you’re in town.

Hypothesis: www.hypothesis.co.th

Speakers NEW Cornered Audio Speakers from Denmark.

Designed for that sophisticated, elegant look with high fidelity sound reproduction.

Cornered Audio speakers mount directly in corners or onto walls and ceilings without brackets.

With a unique triangular design, Cornered Audio speakers can be discreetly placed in applications such as on-wall, on ceiling, under balcony or of course in the corner, for a cleaner, more imaginative interior design. And with speaker cables cornered

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as well, the overall solution is pleasing to the eye, as well as the ear.

Cornered speakers are made of extruded aluminium for a more compact and elegant design, while at the same time cooling the drivers and minimising power compression.

Capable of delivering serious sound pressure levels and uniform coverage, Cornered speakers offer a discreet and elegant solution for professional sound reinforcement.

Production Audio Video Technology Pty Ltd 4/621 Whitehorse Road, Mitcham 3132, Victoria PH: 03 9264 8000 sales@productionaudio.com.au