Image Credit : Jennifer Soo, Kittyhawk, Gemma Warriner
Project Overview
AZBCreative was commissioned to design a bar and restaurant that embodied French bistro culture and captured the imagination. Working in context with the mix of modern and Victorian architecture in Sydney’s financial district and a slightly hidden, laneway location, we designed a space to attract a sophisticated local clientele. Inspired by the original WWII Kitty Hawk fighter plane and the celebratory atmosphere of the liberation of Paris in 1944, we created a multi-layered environment with custom builds and authentic paraphernalia.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Alex Zabotto-Bentley
Peter Harley
Jenni Munster
Jaimi-Lee Wheelwright
Jason Jowett
Lucy Erasmus-Green
Madison Fay
Project Brief
Our brief was to capture the WWII atmosphere without looking like a retro theme park. To reflect the area’s Victorian heritage, we used local reclaimed tumbled bricks and created a hand-laid mosaic floor with 45,000 tesserae designed by Alex Zabotto-Bentley, recalling classical French and ancient Roman designs and the Victorian era’s vogue for classical motifs. We created custom elements and sourced original paraphernalia, from posters and prints to curios. We were asked to create distinct spaces that flowed naturally from the standing bar areas, through intimate tables and booths, a conservatory and a VIP lounge, to accommodate 175 patrons. With the luxury of time, we could collaborate with three artists to create a feature mural and with master craftsmen who custom carved the 13 meter French oak bar, over 9 months. We were able to create custom solutions while supporting local talent. These hand skills also add unparalleled warmth to the space. In a digital age, human touch is crucial.
Project Innovation/Need
The client asked us to create a space that was redolent with the celebratory and heroic atmosphere of the Liberation of Paris, without being literal. It needed to have immediate visual impact, yet invite repeated visits and more exploration. We created layers of detail using authentic pieces and hand finishes to build the story. The location is in a laneway surrounded by tall buildings, yet the client wanted to maintain a sense of light and scale. We created a light-drenched conservatory area with lush greenery to bring the outside in.
Design Challenge
The location was a focus for R&R during WWII. Just a few blocks away, The Museum of Sydney highlights the Australian experience on the home front, providing extra context for the design. By using original artifacts, hand-crafted custom-made fittings and vintage acquisitions, a unique space was created that feels authentic and timeless, without resorting to cliches. The space creates a conversation with Sydney’s history and honors the past, but is also a modern, highly functional hospitality venue. The space needed to accommodate around 175 patrons without feeling crowded. By minimizing transitional spaces like walkways and landings, we were able to maximize seating. Located on the ground level of a high-rise building, the interior layout had to work around significant structural columns and walls, but we also uncovered a disused lift shaft that we transformed into the VIP “Cockpit” booth. The front fascia was designed to blend seamlessly with the building’s facade, while communicating the Parisian style of the space within.
Sustainability
The use of recycled materials and up-cycled pieces was key to the design. One of the truly innovative aspects was our ability to go back in time by using craftspeople to create handmade elements to move the design process forward. We sourced reclaimed and tumbled bricks from the area and hunted down original Victorian tiles for the bathrooms. Vintage French doors were salvaged and repurposed as cabinets to display authentic paraphernalia. Oversized potted plants bring a sense of light and freshness to the interior, but also improve the air quality in the space.
Interior Design - Hospitality - Luxury
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
More Details