Venue 67

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CONTENTS June 2018 No 67

issue sixty seven 2018

Dean Thomas, CEO, CanterburyHurlestone Park RSL

S o l o t e l’s B a r a n g a r o o H o u s e B a r a n g a r o o H o u s e • Th e A l b i o n • N u B a m b u

The days of specials and the Wednesday Night Roast aren’t over but you’ve got to have more strings to your bow. A restaurant like Nu Bambu is changing the conversation

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEWS Justine Baker COO, Solotel Rob Smith CEO, Twin Towns

$9.95 inc gst

Dean Thomas CEO, Canterbury -Hurlestone Park RSL

Paul Wilson Exec Chef/Owner Wilson & Market Matt Darcy Managing Director Albert Park Leisure

9 771832 143005

Venue: Barangaroo House Architect: H&E Architects Interior Design: Etic AV: DJW Projects

Pubs

10 Barangaroo House, Sydney 16 The Albion, Melbourne

Clubs

24 Canterbury Hurlestone Park RSL 36 Twin Towns, Tweed Heads

Bars

22 11 Rooftop Bar, Brisbane 40 Bar Patron, Sydney

CONTACTS: Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353 Sales Office: 0416 230329 PO Box 6216 Frenchs Forest NSW 2086 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)

Hotels

Theatre

42 Nobu Hotel, London 38 Tokyo Laundry, Sydney 44 Untied, Sydney 28 Sydney Lyric Theatre

Hotel

42 Nobu Hotel, London

Functions

32 Woolshed, Melbourne

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 Š 2018 Alchemedia Publishing Pty Ltd. The title Venue is a registered Trademark.

Technology

Regulars

@ Dubai Opera

58 The Oaks Upstairs

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. 21/5/18

09 Smooth Operator 46 Technology 50 You Wish: Sean Connolly

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SMOOTH OPERATOR

H

eard it a million times about buying a house; equally true in hospitality… probably more so. Get the location wrong when you buy a house, and maybe the value of your place doesn’t go up as fast as it should. But the wrong location in our game doesn’t just give you something to whinge about around the barbie; in our game, its probably game over.

Over the years, we’ve got it right and got it wrong. Fortunately, we never got it so wrong it was game over. But man, it makes life so much harder. As you all know, its hard enough trying to run a pub in the right location. Between spiralling food costs, HR issues, regulators, councils, health inspectors, keeping on top of the phenomenon of social media, and an increasingly fickle market; already, there are no easy days. Having to fight against a location that just isn’t right for us… well, no one needs that on top of everything else. Occasionally, we thought we got it right; discovered we hadn’t; held on; and a location that hadn’t been right became right. This is the long game that intergenerational property developers have hit out of the park. The guy who bought that shitty few acres on the river in that bad part of town in 1974… then just held. Some in our game have been that lucky too. The family who bought that big suburban gaming venue before there was a suburb anywhere near it… then just held.

We’ve taken similar, but smaller, risks over the years. We bought a dilapidated little restaurant opposite Richmond Station on Swan Street in 2002, which became Holliava. Very few people will remember what Swan Street felt like back then. Even those, like us, who were there, find it hard to conjure an accurate memory of the wasteland it was 16 years ago.

The intervening years have burned a million bright images into our memories – the teeming crowds on the street pouring out from the G, from AAMI Stadium, from Rod Laver Arena; the footy, the cricket, the rugby, the soccer, the concerts, and of course the Tiges last year — it’s almost impossible to remember how Swan Street used to be. Suffice it to say (and to paraphrase the soundtrack of the day), it’s come a long way, baby.

BITES FROM BIG APPLE As a kid I was in New York with my parents in the early ’80s. One of my enduring memories of that trip happened after dark one night (said every person who ever went to New York!).

Sadly, this isn’t one of those New York stories.

As we wandered south through the midtown streets we were all so engrossed in the sheer excitement of the town to notice the simple subtle changes that were happening around us.

Until it was too late. We were totally lost, well off the tourist trail, and threatened on every street corner. Dad still tells me it was the most terrified he’d ever been — he thought he’d got us all killed. In the end we were saved by a taxi-driver who pulled up and told us to get in, before speeding us back uptown. He was a nice guy: old; black; deep voice. “Don’t no tourists belong in the Lower East Side man.” Lower East Side. Anyone who’s been to New York in the last 10 years will know ‘plenty tourists’ belong in the Lower East Side now. It’s cool, it’s sexy, and it’s safe. The same goes for the Meatpacking District; and Harlem; and Williamsburg. And the whole of NYC. The slow march of gentrification feels inevitable, throughout cities right round the world.

In London, I remember visiting Notting Hill as a backpacker in the early nineties. And while, sure, Portobello Road was kinda cute even back

Landmark decisions.

Matt Mullins is a partner in Sand Hill Road hospitality group

then, the surrounding area was rough and raw and dirty. But now? Put it this way: if you’re a London suburb and they name a Hugh Grant rom-com after you, you’re officially gentrified.

PRICE OF PROGRESS Now, there’s no consensus about whether this is a good thing or a bad thing. Many of us miss the natural charm of the way these places used to be. Our favourite suburb’s heyday almost always coincides with our own heyday. It’s one thing to make a place ‘safe’— no one argues against safety — it’s another thing entirely to whitewash the very essence of a town. Real progress should respect, if not honour, the legacy of those who came before; those who built the place. Not only does it feel somehow morally right, it’s probably better for business. Melbourne’s North is flying. Gentrifying, sure; but gentrifying largely in keeping with the authentic, bohemian roots planted in the inner-North of Fitzroy 40 years ago. Still, most of us tend to think of the arc of history stretching back about as far as our own memories. So while I think of Fitzroy as being defined by the counter-culture Bohemia of the ’60s and ’70s, those who watched aghast as the artists and hippies and revolutionaries slowly took over their suburb would have thought of Fitzroy as the hardbeaten working-class home it had been for the previous 80 years.

That’s the thing about time. One person’s progress is inevitably another person’s travesty.

ESPY: I SPY About a year ago now, the boys and I took on our greatest challenge to date, when we took over the Espy in St Kilda. We’re currently renovating the 140-year-old National Trust-listed beauty. As any Melbournian will know, St Kilda has had a long, colourful and, at times, confusing history. Originally farmland, then a quarantine station, when the Hotel Esplanade officially opened to enormous fanfare in 1878, St Kilda became a resort town, a playground for the rich and famous (sounds like the French Riviera, or Palm Beach right?). By the 1920s and ’30s St Kilda had lost its elite resort-town feel, and had been opened up to Victoria’s burgeoning middle class (as had the Espy itself).

Rapid expansion post World War II eventually saw the streets of St Kilda devolve into Melbourne’s red-light district through the ’60s and ’70s. But along with poverty and crime also grew an intensely parochial artistic scene,

It’s all about location

and an organised and supportive LGBTIQ community. So, by the late ’70s and ’80s, there was a deeply-entrenched, ready-made music and arts scene set to explode onto the stages of The Prince, the Crystal Ballroom, the George, and of course, the Espy. To this eclectic arts and music scene was soon added vibrant food and beverage offerings to equal anything in the country, when Victoria’s newly-liberalised licensing laws (thanks you, thank you, thank you Donlevy!) flowed through into hospitality ventures like the Dog’s Bar, the George Hotel, the Stokehouse and the Prince.

But the path of progress isn’t always linear. For reasons oft-argued but never-agreed, St Kilda’s new ’90s heyday couldn’t sustain itself, and the city — particularly its main artery Fitzroy Street — slowly descended back into a confusing collection of empty tenancies and cheap tacky retail and food offers. At the meeting point of Fitzroy Street, Acland Street, The Esplanade and the Bay, proudly sits The Espy. But it’s been closed for three years now, which hasn’t helped matters.

So here we are again: in love with our grand old pub, working our arses off to rebuild her, excited to be able to give her back to her rightful owners: the community. And desperately hoping that when the time comes, there’ll actually be a community there who cares. It’s a gamble. Cos while we’re waiting for something to happen, that thing we’re waiting for – by definition – hasn’t happened yet. So we buckle up… and hold on.

9

Sydney’s Finest Solotel launched three distinct venues in one of Sydney’s most distinctive pieces of architecture.

Story: Christopher Holder Barangaroo House: 35 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW (02) 8587 5400 or barangaroohouse.com.au

10

I

t’s ambitious and exotic.

Barangaroo is a new suburb developed

by Lend Lease characterised by sky-scraping thrusts of concrete and steel. And then there’s Barangaroo House. Perched on the harbour’s edge, the Collins & Turner-designed building is instantly identifiable as something truly special.

The story of how Barangaroo House went from ‘cool building’ to the biggest story in Sydney hospitality isn’t short or simple. In fact, it’s a story that spans four years of painstaking design and development.

For Solotel, the operator, it’s a story of high ambition. For COO Justine Baker, it’s a project that put everything on the line: “Looking back, I think it was pretty courageous. But we’d like to throw ourselves out there and do more like this. Historically, Solotel has employed a more organic acquisition strategy, so Barangaroo House was a departure in that regard. It’s a unique architectural space and an exciting challenge and we will use it as a launch pad to do more like this.”

Behind the seductively-curved, burnt timber facade of Barangaroo House are three distinct venues: the 300-seat House Bar on the ground floor, Matt Moran’s signature 200-seat Bea Restaurant upstairs and the 250-seat Smoke rooftop bar.

Let’s be frank, not every venue has been an instant success in Barangaroo, and the position and the base building design in no way guarantees a winner. Planning was crucial. The practical challenge of designing an efficiently functioning hospitality venue in a round building was not to be underestimated. But it was matched by the challenge of what manner of venue people would want to visit again and again.

Justine Baker: “Sydney is very casualised and accessible, so we didn’t want to create something that felt above what Sydney loves. We wanted to get that sweetspot that sits between a really special experience and an experience that you want to have all the time. We call it causal sophistication. Sydney loves dressing up but it also likes strolling on a Saturday afternoon in casual clothes and dropping in for an Aperol spritz on the deck. We’ve created a place to drop in as well as a place to treat yourself.”

OUTSIDE THE BOX H&E Architects worked with the Solotel team and interior design firm Etic to create the ultimate Sydney hospitality venue; a venue that embraced everything Sydney loves about the great outdoors.

“This is a venue that’s as much about the outdoors as it is about the indoors,” observes Christopher Grinham, Director H&E Architects. “On many days, as much as 80 percent of the patronage will be sitting outside.”

“The desire was to create a seamless connection between the indoors and the outdoors,” notes Emilie Delalande, director of Etic. “For example we use the same flooring inside and out, and both share much of the same furniture. We’ve got big frameless windows and doors and the ceiling is also a continuation of what’s happening outside.

People sitting outside aren’t looking inside thinking their missing out on something of the experience.”

Solotel COO, Justine Baker, is very satisfied with the result: “Sydney is incredible when the sun is out and there’s no wind. We can have every door open and we have our awnings out for shade.

It feels fabulous. But Sydney also has days that aren’t perfect and it was about making people feel comfortable during cooler nights outside. The Bromic heaters are great and work well with the outside awnings that trap the heat.”

HEAT IS ON

Emilie Delalande: “The Bromic heaters are a really good solution because they’re almost invisible but they’re really doing their job and really contributing to the comfort of people sitting outside when it’s cooler.”

Christopher Grinham: “Bromic also gave us the technical assistance we needed with respect to the design and the integration of the heating into what is a tricky building — installing heaters near timber is never easy; getting big heaters next to big sheets of glass is even harder! They gave us everything we needed to make it happen.”

Bromic Heating: 1300 731 280 or www.bromic.com.au

11

BE-SMOKE FURNITURE

12

From an interior architecture and design perspective part of the trick was to ensure the three venues felt distinct yet connected. Chris and Emilie both mention the sizeable staircase as a literal and figurative linking device. Emilie’s use of an evolving colour palette helps to ensure patrons moving between levels will feel the difference without any jarring design jolts.

Emilie Delalande: ”The base palette is the same, whether you’re in the House Bar, Bea or Smoke and there are aspects that remind patrons of the venue as a whole. For me it was about creating a sensory journey for the guest through the building — design elements that make you feel something. The tiles in the dry bar of the public bar; the leather and timber tops in Bea restaurant; they create tactile moments for the guests.”

The level of sophistication rises in Smoke. All the furniture in the champagne bar is bespoke, something Emilie points to as a hallmark of luxury.

“Everything is high quality and unique,” notes Emilie.

It’s a big departure from days gone by when sophistication was measured by how many Italian designer brands you had conspicuously on show. “Now the real sophistication is to have someone look at your space and design a chair especially for you,” concludes Emilie.

AUDIO: GOOD NEIGHBOURS

Dave Coxon of DJW Projects is Solotel’s go-to audio guru.

Dave needed to draw on all his experience to deliver an audio system that could provide the level of detail and power without disturbing the neighbours.

Christopher Grinham ably outlined the challenge as we sat in the rooftop bar, Smoke, pointing to the next door neighbours — balconies of a nearby high-rise apartment that almost seemed within arm’s reach: “AV was a massive challenge with our residential neighbours so close. You want warmth and ambience and character in a venue like this but you’re treading a fine line keeping those neighbours happy.

It isn’t easy. I think Dave Coxon has provided a tremendous experience for the patrons.”

The audio system is based on EAW loudspeakers and Powersoft amplifiers. It’s a distributed system (with a larger number of smaller loudspeakers) to keep overall levels down while still maintaining extensive coverage to every patron.

DJW Projects: (02) 9114 9993 or djwprojects.com.au PAVT (EAW, Powersoft): (03) 9264 8000 or pavt.com.au

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When you’re a group of 31 venues it’s easy to replicate … we totally challenged that

CHALLENGING CONVENTION This isn’t Solotel’s first rodeo. It has dozens of venues but you could argue it also had a ‘groove on’. There’s undeniably something more ambitious about Barangaroo House, and not simply an ambition described by the landmark position and the media noise.

“When you’re a group of 31 venues it’s easy to replicate,” admits Justine Baker. “And that’s Business 101 — driving efficiencies. But we totally challenged that: just because it worked ‘there’ it doesn’t mean it needs to come ‘here’.

“We asked ourselves those challenging questions and a lot of the time the answer was ‘no’ — we changed a lot of what we held as our standard approach to new projects. Instead we let teams create within broader terms of reference and come back with new ideas and I think the result reflects that.

“It’s the biggest project Solotel has done and we were all very passionate about what we were delivering. It was hard work but a joy.”

CONTACT Collins & Turner: (02) 9356 3217 or collinsandturner.com H&E Architects: (02) 9357 2288 or h-e.com.au Etic: studioetic.com

14

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FROM THE ASHES Story: Christopher Holder The Albion Rooftop: 172 York St, South Melbourne VIC (03) 9645 5277 or thealbion.bar

16

I

t was one of the most famous pub fires in recent history. And there have been a few.

The Albion Hotel in South Melbourne sensationally burnt down a few weeks short of its reopening in 2015. The industry was agog.

Was it an insurance job? Bikies? (Notice no one would consider something as benign as an electrical fault?)

Turns out it was a desperate contractor who couldn’t meet deadlines and was hoping to start a ‘small fire’ to postpone the launch date. Like many bad ideas it turned really bad, and a minor fire turned into a full blown conflagration. Almost nothing but the facade could be salvaged.

The Albion is owned by the Albert Park Leisure (formerly the Darcy Group), and hasn’t become one of Melbourne’s premier operators by giving up at the first sign of adversity. But rather than starting again with a carbon copy of the first design, director, Matt Darcy, his partners and his team took time to reflect: “The first design was predominately a night time venue. After the fire we were determined to come back bigger and better, and design a more well-rounded venue; more of a lifestyle venue that would trade from lunchtime through to 5am.”

The new venue sees the old design flipped on its head. Originally the offices were on the top level; now they’re on the ground floor. In doing so, Matt and his team were able to build one of the best rooftop venues in Australia.

KEYS TO ALFRESCO COMFORT

Australians love a rooftop bar. Melbourne’s weather is notoriously fickle — four seasons in one day, as they say. So making the Albion’s rooftop bar not only accessible all year round but actually enjoyable and comfortable all year round took planning and investment. Louvered and retractable roofing systems combined with rectractable screens weatherproof the venue as well as protect patrons from summer sun. With a press of a button the rooftop bar can be entirely open or completely shut down and protected from the elements.

But patron comfort on the rooftop isn’t something staff can ‘set and forget’: “With Melbourne’s weather it can be 30 degrees one minute and then hailing the next,” observed Matt Darcy. “It’s so important for our management team to pay attention to detail. By having the versatility of automated blinds, if the wind suddenly changes from a southerly to an easterly we have that ability to immediately respond.

The heating’s also very important when it comes to creating the perfect ambience and temperature. Lighting, the sound and the heating is something that our management team are constantly monitoring and that’s what we pride ourselves on: providing an amazing product by ensuring all those components are looked after.”

Matt Darcy elaborates on his choice of Bromic heating as a crucial element in providing patron comfort: “We went with Bromic because I like the ambience the heaters create. Their glow isn’t overbearing. I think that’s important when you’re designing a place where you spend so much time on ambience and lighting: you don’t want your heaters to radically change the mood. That’s why I like the Bromic product: they’re a great heater because they produce a lot of heat but they also blend in nicely with the aesthetics of what we’ve created on the rooftop.”

Bromic Heating: 1300 731 280 or bromicheating.com.au

17

Matt Darcy: “We wanted to build a rooftop bar that gave us the opportunity to take advantage of the amazing city views we have here in South Melbourne. So we flipped the design and put the offices and all of the back of house services on the ground floor. Then Level One became a lounge that could morph into a nightclub and then on the next level we built a rooftop bar. I think we’re the only rooftop bar in Victoria with a 5am licence.”

DISCO DOCTOR HOUSE CALL It seems glib to say the fire was the best thing to ever happen to Albion, but undeniably the reincarnation hits the sweetspot. The hero is unquestionably the rooftop which, thanks to clever thinking, retractable blinds and an awesome Bromic outdoor heating design, will trade all year around. In almost every regard it transcends what you might picture in your mind’s eye when you hear the words ‘rooftop bar’. It’s a large space with a variety of seating options. There’s a full-length, fully-stocked bar. There’s space for a DJ and dancefloor. And as Matt just stated, it can stay open all the way through to 5am.

The function level is as versatile as the rooftop is accommodating. After 10pm it neatly transforms into a nightclub. The Disco Doctors were engaged to provide the audiovisual components.

The technology investment in Martin Audio loudspeakers, and a large-format LED wall (from Proscreens), in particular, gives the Albion the tools it needs to kick the space into another gear.

“It’s important that we cater to a larger demographic than what was originally planned for the Albion. There are those who love a nightclub but they might be joined by those who’d rather be upstairs at the rooftop bar. Clubbers can take a break upstairs and there will always be something happening well into the night. You can watch the EPL or sit and chat in a more relaxed environment. The rooftop adds a whole new dimension when combined with the nightclub.”

I think the key to design is to look like you’ve spent $10m, but actually spend $5m

FIRED UP & SMART The Albion Hotel brought together the talents of ITN Architects and Visual Builders to produce the result. It’s a collaboration built on an eye for detail and pragmatism, according to Matt Darcy: “Budget constraints are always challenging but the architect ITN and Visual Builders understood what I was trying to achieve. I think the key to design is to look like you’ve spent $10m, but actually spend $5m. I think we’ve managed to do that by having time to take the architects’ plans and schedules and then source comparable products. You know, we didn’t want to lose the design intent but we needed to be smart in the way that we went about it. And I think by having a collaborative approach with the builder and with the architect made that an easy process.”

CONTACTS ITN Architects: itnarchitects.com Visual Builders: visualbuilders.com.au

18

AUDIO: POWER WITH RESPONSIBILITY

Matt Darcy: “The audiovisual component is extremely important. We’ve used The Disco Doctors on a number of previous projects and we’ve always used Martin Audio sound systems. I think there’s an increasing level of appreciation for good sound by clubbers. It’s something you certainly don’t want to skimp on and we invest a lot of money in our audio and visual systems, because it is such an important component of the business we’re competing in. Martin Audio has been great in creating that product and that vibe we look for here.”

The function room/nightclub audio is distributed throughout the room, rather than relying on an oversized left/right PA. The result provides enough energy on the dancefloor but also allows those at the bar and in the booths at the

back of the room to chat comfortably. Martin Audio’s new CDD surfacemount loudspeakers really shine in this regard. They’re a coaxial, point source speaker with an innovative waveguide that provides smooth, even high frequency response regardless of where you’re positioned in relation to the source — makes it easier to design a system that’s free of hotspots and deadspots. The loudspeakers are powered by QSC PLD series amps, while BSS Soundweb processing takes care of the delay, zoning and EQ etc.

Technical Audio Group (Martin Audio, QSC): (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au Disco Doctors: 0423 141384 or www.discodoctors.com.au

Lotus Takes Position Fujisaki: 100 Barangaroo Avenue, Sydney, NSW (02) 9052 9188 or fujisaki.com.au

F

20

ujisaki is a 146-seater restaurant and bar that takes advantage of harbour views and the ready-made Barangaroo corporate crowd.

Guests are invited into a state of calm and luxury, where colours are rich, texture is heightened and the delicate detailing of the interior balances with the artistry of flavours delivered by an impressive line-up: Executive chef Chui Lee Luk, sushi chef, Ryuichi Yoshii and sommelier Annette Lacey.

Lotus Dining hospitality group engaged Design Clarity on the design and there’s plenty to like.

Some signature design highlights include: The wall of mirrors creates atmosphere and movement, referencing the ripples of reflective pools in Japan. The brass lighting in the long private dining room was inspired by Japanese Alpine-village lights. A VIP tatami room caters for the corporate crowd and there’s a third luxurious velvet-walled private dining room.

Deep ‘Japan Blue’ is a traditional Japanese colour attributed to purity and authenticity. Intense and almost black, this colour is applied to Fujisaki’s walls and ceilings in different textures as a receding backdrop to the architectural features.

Veined natural onyx stone is rear illuminated in a monolithic sheet, forming the surround to the central theatrical robata

CONTACTS Design Clarity: www.designclarity.net

grill cooking area, and highlights the slate raw bar where you can sit and be captivated by Yoshii as he performs — shaping and blowtorching his creations. Translucent slatelite can be seen in the backlit sake wall behind the cocktail bar, dining room ceilings and cladding the bespoke temperature controlled wine room interior.

Charred timber ‘Shou Sugi Ban’ is an ancient Japanese technique for preserving timber planks using fire to ensure longevity. The deeply textural solid timber has a blue/black sheen and can be seen as a recurring motif behind the banquettes, extending to full height wall cladding along the private dining rooms.

Brass gold detailing occurs throughout and even extends to the restaurant’s own art collection in the form of ‘Kintsugi’, the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with dusted gold.

Design Clarity introduced a collaboration with Keiko Matsui, a Japanese Australian artist and ceramicist who creates refined sculptural porcelain artpieces, which sit alongside the succulents and living bonsai in the different dining spaces.

“We felt Keiko’s artwork connected beautifully with the values of the Fujisaki brand,” explains Kristina Hetherington, Managing Director at Design Clarity. “A fusion of Japanese and Australian influences, both traditional and modern”.

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NEXT-GENERATION ARRAY TECHNOLOGY

Turned Up To Eleven Eleven Rooftop Bar: 757 Ann St, Fortitude Valley QLD (07) 3067 7447 or elevenrooftopbar.com.au

R

evellers of Fortitude Valley have grown accustomed to high quality F&B offerings. As one of the country’s premier late-night party precincts, the valley has any number of quaffing options for the discerning punter.

So it was that Eleven Rooftop Bar needed to bring its A game.

The bar affords patrons panoramic 270° views of Fortitude Valley. The concept was inspired by the rooftop bar culture of Istanbul, as well as holiday getaways to Indonesia and the relaxed vibe of some of Bali’s finest bars. But there’s more to Eleven than just fancy drinks. As the sun goes down and stars come out, the laid back atmosphere morphs into a classy restaurant, then a lively nightclub. Eleven Rooftop Bar never has a dull moment.

The menu has a tapas-style share plate focus by day and a full dinner menu after sundown. The venue’s main bar serves up a variety of drinks, while the smaller Asahi Bar provides an overflow space for busy nights and can double as a private function area for hire.

AUDIO: TURNED UP TO 11

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Andrew Szumowski from Audio One Technologies installed Eleven Rooftop Bar’s audio and control system. The venue’s architectural fit-out is premium quality, and the owner stated upfront that the audio system had to be of a similarly high standard. At the same time, speakers had to be placed discreetly. Primarily playing mood music, the system also needed enough headroom and clarity to cater for DJs brought in at nighttime and for events.

Another hurdle was managing spill. The rear of the Asahi bar faces high-rise residential apartments so low end output had to be strictly controlled. Andrew turned to d&b loudspeakers to

CONTACTS NAS (d&b, Cloud): 1800 441 440 or www.nationalaudio.com.au

deliver the no-compromise performance his client requested.

The main L-shaped bar area is serviced with three d&b 8S loudspeakers and two d&b 18S subwoofers for low end. Four booths lining the far end of the bar are covered by a single d&b 5S loudspeaker in each. d&b audiotechnik’s ArrayCalc software guided the decision of where best to place the speakers to ensure consistent sound in every spot.

“I worked with the guys at NAS [d&b’s distributor] to get the coverage right,” says Andrew. “I gave them copies of the plans with the brief as well. They did a model for me using ArrayCalc. We were originally going to put the speakers in a different position, but looking at the model, they said if we mount them a little higher and pointing back into the bar at the right angle, it would cover everything. The capacity is about 400 people, and it covers it easily. There’s really no flat spots in the whole venue.”

Andrew used a Cloud Electronics Z8 Mk4 multi-zone mixer to handle audio distribution in Eleven’s three distinct zones.

A Cloud remote wall panel in each zone allows staff to adjust audio source and level in each space. An iPod or phone can be plugged directly into the wall plate for music playback, and XLR patch points for DJs are built into the walls.

PARTY ATMOSPHERE Eleven Rooftop Bar has enjoyed the audio system for two years now.

“The owner loves it,” says Andrew. “They haven’t had any downtime and the system is running perfectly. I pop my head in once every few months and it’s all running as it should. DJs give it the thumbs up which is always a good thing. They’ve got about a 105dB limit in there and I’ve been up there with that limit and there’s still heaps of atmosphere.”

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WALK IN THE PARK Inner West club with big F&B aspirations.

Story: Christopher Holder Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL: 20-26 Canterbury Rd, Hurlstone Park NSWÂ (02) 9559 0000 or www.chprsl.com.au

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0,000 members, 240 on staff, $46m annual turnover. They’re big numbers. That said, Canterbury Hurlstone Park RSL (CHPRSL) knows only too well that its local patrons have a whole constellation of competing options on their doorstep. It’s something that evidently occupies the thoughts of club CEO Dean Thomas: “Star Casino is about 15 minutes drive from our club; there are some very large clubs within 1015 minutes drive; there are some well-established restaurant precincts in nearby Newtown and Leichhardt; so you could say that our are has a lot of competition but it’s also a strong market.”

Dean and the board were acutely aware that expectations of its members were on the rise. People want options. But whether that’s the roast from the bistro or top-draw a la carte nosh from a ‘name’ chef, they expect value and something special: “We don’t want to alienate our traditional members,” noted Dean Thomas. “But we want to be appealing to new members. Which saw us approach our new direction as ‘venues within a venue’, so we could have different spaces within the club that could appeal to different markets.”

And this is a story of a big club taking a big step… ‘levelling up’, you might say. Dean Thomas again: “We needed to elevate the offering above the competition which is why we engaged Paul Kelly Design, because that’s what they do and that’s Paul Kelly’s forte.”

LEVELLING UP Stage One of the ‘levelling up’ masterplan is a new restaurant, Nu Bambu; an all-day cafe; and work on a common area which will act as a touchstone for future work.

The restaurant is, for all intents and purposes, its own destination, and adheres to Dean’s ‘venue within a venue’ philosophy. Early signs are all very positive. Chef, Freddie Salim’s (ex Longrain) food is exceptional, turning the head of hard-to-impress Fairfax food critic Terry Durack with a 14 out of 20 review — unheard of for a RSL house restaurant.

Nu Bambu’s fitout is also exceptional. The work of the Paul Kelly Design team (led by Associate Interior Designer Scott Trebitt) sees a classy world-class venue with a host of eye-catching moments: the huge communal table, the art pieces on the flocked feature wall, the open kitchen and bar front, the portal entrance and the exotic silk sculpture (a Diemme commission) that floats weightlessly mid air.

“For me, it was the the portal entrance that really made an impact on me when it was installed halfway through the build,” recalls Scott Trebitt.

“It’s subtle but a huge hero, and grounds the design; provides an anchor point.”

The communal table is one special piece of timber. Scott Trebitt explains: “You set out on an adventure like this and sometimes these things work with ease and sometimes they don’t. By which I mean, you could go looking for a slab of timber like this and come up empty nine times out of 10.

We were fortunate. This piece has return ends, so the table is naturally rounded by nature, and they bookend. It’s unique and beautiful. Like I said, you could spend a lot of time, money and effort to try and ensure that outcome, and still not be get anything like the same result.”

ALL DAY EVERY DAY If Nu Bambu provides a blueprint for the level of class and quality we can expect from future improvements to the club, it’s a mouth watering prospect indeed.

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The common area may not grab any glamour headlines, but it’s fundamental to the future of the club. Any visit to the club will involve the common area. It’s the nexus point that makes the ‘venues within a venue’ concept possible.

Dean Thomas was at pains to ensure the common area again provided an ‘elevated’ sense of quality and prestige, yet remained approachable.

This is a club that couldn’t be accused of being ‘up itself’.

When other clubs may have been tempted to go further out on a limb to appeal to a younger demographic, CHPRSL maintained its composure: “We wanted regulars to walk back in after the renovation and not feel alienated but comfortable,” offered Scott Trebitt “There would be a familiarity about the space but they’d feel happier because of the upgrade.”

NU & OLD Speaking to CEO Dean Thomas, it was clear his priorities were much broader than getting under 25s into his club on a Saturday night: “It’s true, we’ve not gone hard in one particular market because we want everyone to be welcome here. And the reality is, throughout the day and throughout the week the mix of clientele changes and a large club needs a variety of offerings to reflect that. Nu Bambu is going amazingly well, but that doesn’t mean we still don’t have a strong traditional patron who loves the roast in the bistro.”

So reports of the demise of the subsidised bistro roast have been exaggerated, then?

Dean Thomas: “What’s dead is the idea of ‘cheaper is better’. People crave value. That’s what we’re offering with Nu Bambu and people are loving it. The traditional customer has a different sense of value and we’ve got to cater to those different markets as well. The days of specials and the Wednesday Night Roast aren’t over but you’ve got to have more strings to your bow. A restaurant like Nu Bambu is serving to change the conversation and that’s what it’s designed to do.”

BEDDING DOWN This stage of redevelopment was huge for CHPRSL, not only strategically but also practically. The club traded through the works, and Boden Projects again proved adept at getting things done without turning the whole club into a work site, but Dean admits that it has been very disruptive (“customers were eating Gyprock sandwiches for a number of weeks”).

Now is the time to collectively take a breath.

It gives the fresh direction and new venues (within a venue) time to find their feet and for the jury to convene — is the compass set perfectly or does it need calibration?

Dean Thomas summarises: We’re really, really happy with the results of Stage One. I firmly believe we’ve got the core of the club right — the all-day cafe, which is right at the heart of the club, the entrance to a gaming area and an Asian restaurant… these are thing things we’ve tested first. Paul Kelly Design and Boden Projects has worked with us and have delivered on that. And I’m delighted. There’s always an element of faith about these types of projects. You can commission as many plans and fly-throughs as you like but there’s always an element of trust with the architect about what’s going to be delivered. But they certainly delivered.

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The new Asian-inspired restaurant, Nu Bambu (top and bottom). The all-day café (middle) makes the most of the huge skylight, providing five-star-hotel-foyer comfort.

CONTACTS Paul Kelly Design: (02) 9660 8299 or paulkellydesign.com.au Boden Projects: (02) 9667 4488 or www.boden.com.au

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Thrown the Book Sydney Lyric Theatre spends big on bringing audiences closer.

Story: Christopher Holder Sydney Lyric Theatre: 55 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW (02) 9509 3600 or www.sydneylyric.com.au

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musical like The Book of Mormon might seem like something very much of its time — contemporary, slick and selfaware — but at its essence it’s musical theatre in the mould of all its eminent predecessors back through the 20th and even the 19th century.

As a piece of musical theatre The Book of Mormon presses all the same buttons, tugs all the some heart strings, ‘brings it home’ with the same sort of show stopper… albeit more masterfully than most.

Similarly, a production’s demands on its venue are mostly the same as they’ve always been.

Sure, fewer people die in huge conflagrations from an errant cigar butt. Meanwhile, lighting and staging has become far more automated and less likely to drop on someone’s head; but at its heart, the producers of a show like The Book of Mormon want to play to full houses where they can really connect with an audience.

It’s not a rock concert; it’s way more intimate.

Which is why The Book of Mormon turned down the Sydney Lyric Theatre in Sydney. When scouting for the right venue, producers felt the 2000-cap theatre (built back in 1995) just wasn’t intimate enough.

Rather than roll over, the Sydney Lyric responded. The owners commissioned plans for a redevelopment. Something that would inject intimacy and flexibility.

Thanks to the fine work of Altis Architecture, Schuler Shook (theatre planners and lighting designers), Richard Stuart (theatre consultant) and acousticians Acoustic Studio, the proposal was everything The Book of Mormon was hoping for.

The Sydney Lyric won the gig.

IN THE BOX SEAT Casual observers will be hard pressed to see how all the millions of dollars were spent. But with a little explanation, all is revealed: Effectively the work has squeezed the theatre in on the sides, losing some width, then adding rows of seats to bring the audience closer to the stage. The box seats were reconfigured to be more forward facing and deliver on the promised primo experience.

It doesn’t sound like much, but as Altis Architecture’s Andrew O’Connell explains, if they cut the structure to the bone any more, they were in danger of demolishing it.

“I went to Cameron Mackintosh [producer and theatre owner extraordinaire] in London,” recalls Andrew. “And we talked about what we could do to the theatre to convince them to use the Sydney Lyric for Book of Mormon.

“It became clear we would need to seriously reconfigure the theatre: bringing the dress circle forward by four rows, reconfiguring the boxes, doing some real structural gymnastics. It’s very difficult to do something like this without bringing the structure down.”

BLINDS: SEEING THE LIGHT Not only was the client’s brief to make the theatre more intimate, it also demanded what was termed a ‘breathable theatre’. Deputy GM of the Sydney Lyric (and its Sydney sister, the Capitol Theatre) Paul Rigby explains: “We wanted the ability to run the theatre in different modes: a 1350-seat capacity, as well as a 1550-, 1750-, and 2000-seat capacity. Not only that, but we wanted that ability at a touch of a button. We didn’t want physical walls that needed to be stored and would require considerable manpower to put in place. At the push of a button we wanted to instantly reset the theatre to go from playing to 2000 people down to 1350 people.”

“The inspiration for the solution came from looking at the blinds in my living room,” Andrew

recalls. “Sound goes through them, but when you shine light on them they appear solid. That was the basis of the solution, and an almost off-theshelf solution at that.”

And this was the key: providing a change to the perceived size of the room, not the actual size of the room. Get it wrong and the acoustics would be altered and the sound design would be wrong for the space.

The automated blinds mean that audiences can fill all the seats closest to the stage. There’s no need to close off tiers of seating.

And because of the Continental-style design of the theatres, with the exit doors along the sides rather than the rear, the blinds don’t interfere with ingress/egress.

The upshot: the show always plays to a full house. Genius really.

Come Closer: How things used to be (above). Rows of seating have been added to bring audiences nearer, while the sides have been brought in, again, to improve intimacy.

Copper screens obscure the original ceiling artwork.

SENSE OF THEATRE As for the interior design itself? Altis has reinvigorated the space with the right amount of glamour. The banks of doors either side of the theatre are now mercifully obscured with smart-looking architectural curved timber ‘blades’. The ceiling mural (definitely of its era) has been masked by striking copper screens.

One thing that has never changed about a positive trip to the theatre is the sense of occasion — the experience. Producers like Cameron Mackintosh; shows like The Book of Mormon; and theatres like Sydney Lyric understand that this is how you get audiences to keep coming back for seasons that can run for months or even years.

Thankfully a ‘tentpole’ production like The Book of Mormon gave the Sydney Lyric Theatre the confidence to invest the millions of dollars required to retool its venue.

“New theatres don’t get built very often, and theatres of this scale don’t get refurbed to this extent very often,” observes Paul Rigby. “Especially not privately-owned theatres — it’s very rare for private enterprise to do this. Without the deep pockets of a state government, for example, we needed to run very lean with a small team of experts. We’re very proud of what we’ve achieved and extremely pleased with what Altis Architecture has designed, and the team’s ability to work with specialists such as the the acoustician and the theatre consultants. The end result is fantastic. Altis has really done a great job.”

Contacts Altis Architecture: (02) 9364 9000 or altisarchitecture.com Erilyan (Builder): (02) 8188 0700 or erilyan.com.au

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SHEAR AMAZEMENT The Woolshed rises from the ashes with a whip-smart technical backbone.

Story: Christopher Holder Woolshed Harbour Esplanade, Docklands VIC www.woolshed.melbourne

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t’s every venue owner’s nightmare. A fire. But providing you have adequate insurance… there’s a silver lining: you can build again and this time, really get it right.

The Atlantic Group’s Woolshed venue in Melbourne’s Docklands had just such a great misfortune; and made the most of the silver lining with an newly refit restaurant, pub and events venue.

The Atlantic Group is well versed in the challenges of running a multipurpose events. Its group of venues (some on the same central pier as the Woolshed) have a heavy events focus. It prides itself on a maverick spirit but an unwavering attention to detail.

MORE PARTIES

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The updated technology was designed and installed by Node Audio Visual Systems, helmed by Tom Connolly, with Anthony Sottosanti running point. The key to a truly multifunctional space is flexible zoning — with the ability to run ‘anything to anywhere’. This is not a simple exercise.

The Woolshed has a total of 12 audio zones. Even more im-

portantly, the Woolshed can accommodate six entirely separate bookings simultaneously.

Which brings me to other key to a successful multifunctional space: each group must feel independent of every other group in the venue if they so choose.

Again, this is not easy to achieve and not cheap. The Woolshed used the rebuild opportunity to install heavy glazing to provide acoustic isolation where required.

Combining the latest tech with good old-fashioned materials and in-wall insulation, has given the Woolshed the multifunctional venue it wanted. And when you consider the financial advantage of booking six groups into the venue at once rather than, say, four, then the tech investment is soon paid for.

General Manager, Duncan Laidlaw: “Previously we had, I think, three zones. Now, with 12 zones I could have a DJ source or band coming through to any particular zone or the whole venue — I can select where I want it or don’t want it. But then in the restaurant I can turn off music so people can talk or have a wedding or conference upstairs and have their own DJ or music.”

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QUALITY THROUGHOUT With the technological backbone in place, the Woolshed didn’t skimp on the audio.

There are QSC loudspeakers and amplifiers throughout. QSC isn’t the most expensive loudspeaker brand in the market but provides outstanding value. QSC’s CXD range of multi-channel amplifiers are at the top end, thanks, in part, to the ability to exist on the network (so it can be tweaked remotely via the Crestron control system) and, of course, the audio quality.

BIG SCREENS The rebuild has allowed the Woolshed to buy into the best and biggest LCD panels on the market.

Duncan and the Atlantic Group management selected Philips 98-inch commercial displays.

They’re certainly a large screen, but in the context of the Fireside room with its soaring ceiling height, the large screen real estate is a must.

The Woolshed has two Nightlife music video systems, three channels of Foxtel, and inputs that allow video to be shunted to the screens.

PAYOFF The pressure of running events is considerable.

Building a system that makes a sophisticated system easy to run, will pay off in spades. But these aren’t off-the-peg solutions, they require the knowledge of a competent AV designer and installation know-how. It’s a pleasure to see a well-integrated sy stem in action, sounding and looking great.

The last word should go to Woolshed GM Duncan Laidlaw: “The freedom to set the venue up without moving stuff around is amazing. For example, we’ll have a conference that will use the main space and another, they can have the same screen content running throughout, without having to plug into multiple places. Previously we would need to hire AV staff to meet those kinds of demands and it got costly. Now it’s just so easy and less costly to run.”

CONTACTS Node Audio Visual Systems: 0448 196 496 TAG (QSC): (02) 9519 0900 or info@tag.com.au Westan (Philips Displays): 1300 963963 or westan.com.au Nightlife Music Video: www.nightlife.com.au Airstream Architects: airstreamarchitects.com

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Dante PoE powered Speaker With audio distributed via a Dante network and PoE power* supplied from a PoE compliant L2 switch, the speaker system can be constructed as a network, allowing existing IT infrastructure to be effectively utilized. Simple wiring via LAN cables, easy installation, and no need for a power amp contribute to the flexibility of installation, allowing you to construct an elegant sound system that will not interfere with the design of the conference room. * When using an IEEE 802.3at compliant PoE power supply device, the maximum speaker output is 15W; when using an IEEE 802.3af compliant PoE power supply device, the maximum speaker output is 6W.

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TWIN TREAT Twin Towns ignites the border with a spectacular LED and lighting installation.

Story: Christopher Holder Twin Towns: 2 Wharf St, Tweed Heads NSW (07) 5536 2277 or www.twintowns.com.au

SCREEN TIME

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ULA Group MD, Con Biviano, explains something of the hardware and the significance of the project to his company: “This has been a hugely significant project for ULA Group.

“When we first became involved, the project brief was along the lines of exterior isolated projection and colour change to enhance the presence of the club.

“It quickly became apparent that the project could and should be so much more. There was an enormous canvas to work with.

“Once we began to work closer with Rob and the team at Twin Towns to better understand their vision, we soon realised they wanted something dynamic and glamorous like they had experienced in Macau and Las Vegas.

“Designing an installation that provided a large digital canvas wasn’t a problem, we’d done it a number of times before.

But we have not put low and high resolution LED together to create a single canvas before. This is a first for Australia.

“This project was designed to allow for a high level of future proofing. By this I mean, there are currently tight restrictions on its use, however we have learnt from our experience with

other cities and countries, those restrictions will relax over time. This display is ready.

“It’s also somewhat future proof by using the best possible hardware. The screen is our top of the line GM series with redundancy. We place this series on the decks of cruise liners. It has a design life of 100,000 hours. This screen will perform for a very long time to come.

“That said, every LED screen requires periodical maintenance. From a back-end perspective we’ve gone to great lengths to make the installation practical and efficient to service. And in many regards I’m most proud of my team in this respect. The racks, the wiring and labelling is meticulous.

“It’s been a very personal project as well. We are locals, I holidayed here as a kid for many years. A number of my team come to Twin Towns most weekends, just about all of the contractors are locals; we were all very invested in making this project something special.”

ULA Group: 1300 852476 or www.ulagroup.com Ramus Illumination: (03) 9191 2544 or www.ramus.com.au

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egend has it that top-draw DJs can play a ‘countdown’ new year’s set at least three times in one night. All they need is a meticulously planned schedule across three very different time zones (Moscow, London, New York, for example), and a pilot to keep the engines of their Gulfstream idling in the carpark. Exhausting but lucrative.

Tweed Heads, on the New South Wales/ Queensland border, is renowned for something similar. NYE partygoers head to the border town to welcome in the new year twice, thanks to the one-hour time difference between states.

The border itself runs right outside Twin Towns.

Making the most of its prime position, the club acts as ‘ground zero’ for the double-happiness NYE celebrations.

CLAD WRAP In fact, it’s Twin Towns’ conspicuous location that accounts for the latest remarkable investment. Cladding the curved structure of the building’s main ‘cotton reel’ is hundreds of square metres of LED. The design and concept of the new lighting feature is by the ULA Group. At its heart is a VuePix (10mm pixel pitch) LED display measuring 17m wide by 5m high. Surrounding the big screen are some 5900 customised LED nodes. If that wasn’t enough, 424m of Firefly RGB Floppy Flex LED tape stretches out like tendrils around the perimeter of the building, while 52 x Griven colourchanging architectural lighting fixtures are also lassoed into the show.

And what a show it is. Every evening from 6pm (or sundown during Summer), the exterior of the club is transformed into a colourful kaleidoscope of digital footage, imagery, graphics and special effects.

The content has been developed by lighting and media guru, Bruce Ramus and his team and displays aerial footage of the Tweed Valley and videos of outdoor activities such as surfing and Southern Gold Coast and Tweed Coast beaches.

Special calendar events such as ANZAC Day, the local Cooly Rocks On festival, NYE and more will also be celebrated.

HI COUNCIL venue headed to the border to witness the official

launch of the installation, sitting down with club CEO Rob Smith to hear the full story: “We’d recently spent $40m an interior refurbishment, so we asked ourselves: ‘What can we do that complements those improvements from the outside of the building?’.

The local council had something to say about that rhetorical question, placing some tight constraints on the nature of the content, as well as the duration and brightness. Rob Smith picks up the story: “Getting council on board, when you’re talking about a feature like this on a main thoroughfare road, was going to be a challenge. After discussions, they were quite enthusiastic as long as we didn’t use the display to advertise the club per se, as long as it had a general theme that promoted the area, promoted the Shire and would bring people to the border with us as the backdrop.”

The result is an eye-popping feature that in one respect could be straight out of Vegas, but thanks to Bruce Ramus’s carefully selected and pixel mapped content, is a classy and adroit antidote to a big-casino siren-call (5c Slots, Boyz2Men in Concert, anyone?)

Content exploits every last pixel of the hi-res LED screen for shorter periods, while at other times the 80sqm VuePix display blends in with the 200mm pitch LED nodes, creating subtly evolving architectural theming.

PARIS CATCH Settling on a final design, as well as choosing the suppliers and hardware was an interesting story in itself. ULA and the club were known to each other thanks to ULA suppling some theatrical lighting into the club’s showroom. ULA worked on the design and recommended Bruce Ramus. CEO Rob Smith submitted the design to the board for final approval… which hesitated: “They said, ‘before you write a cheque that large for equipment being manufactured overseas, you may want to satisfy yourself about what you’re getting. Go see the technology for yourself’,” recalls Rob Smith.

In due course, Rob Smith and ULA Group Man-

aging Director, Con Biviano, embarked on a tech tour. The pair took the opportunity to drop by the VuePix factory en route. At that point the VuePix LED screen wasn’t in the design. Up to that point the video content was to be delivered by environmental projection. Rob Smith picks up the story again: “After our visit to the China factory our first call in Europe was to the outskirts of Paris where there’s an impressive building that is clad with a large-scale pixilated backdrop in combination with a centrepiece of a large LED screen.

From that moment the conversation moved to that sort of design, rather than our original intention, which was to project onto the building during the breaks in the pixellated LED show.”

COME THE FULL CIRCLE Having been packed off by the club’s board to personally eyeball the manufacturing processes of its significant technology investment, Rob Smith returned with quite a bit more than they bargained for.

“The board was, in fact, more comfortable than ever that we were getting an outcome superior to the projection-led proposal,” noted Rob Smith.

“We’d all heard about the sizeable ongoing costs and although there are stunning Vivid-style examples of projection, we’ve all seen it done badly.

Coincidentally, Con and his team at ULA, were supplying a new super-sized LED screen into The Circle on Cavill, in Surfers Paradise. That actually made it easy for me, because I was able to go back to the club’s board and give them an easily inspected example of what we were proposing. And when that scale of screen was superimposed on the building drawings, that became a selling point.”

MOOD LIFT The result, with Bruce Ramus’s content, is stunning. Bruce has mapped all the LED, lighting and colour-changing Flex tape and addresses it as one large canvas. It provides a classy introduction to just what’s possible for many years to come. Local media artists will no doubt be eyeing off the new lighting feature, and opportunities will doubtlessly arise — after all, this is a large, conspicuous display with a voracious appetite for new content.

Also, being so conspicuous, Twin Towns’ newest addition has been the talk of the town, a fact not lost on CEO Rob Smith: “I live in one of the high rise buildings across the road, so my neighbours have been watching the installation with keen interest. I can safely say, that there’s no more strident a critic than somebody who’s sharing an elevator with you — they’ll tell you exactly what you should be doing. So I get the fact that Twin Towns is part of the local DNA! “My favourite comment was the young fellow behind the counter at the 7-Eleven. I was standing outside taking in the new display when he rushed out — ‘Epic!’”

Epic, indeed.

HARWARE STATS 2.4 million LEDs delivering the vision and colour 13 tonnes of steel 6km of cable Over 10,000 man hours to manufacture the products and complete the installation

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Cleaning Up Tokyo Laundry: The Gateway, 1 Macquarie Place, Sydney (02) 9251 3323 or tokyolaundry.com.au

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clectic Japanese-inspired design and a taste of fine sake heralds the arrival of Tokyo Laundry, hospitality entrepreneur David Loh’s first proper foray into the Sydney dining and drinking scene. The restaurant and bar is situated inside the shiny new Gateway complex, just removed from Circular Quay.

“With this being our first move into the Sydney market — after successful Melbourne ventures Rice Workshop, Bubble Cup and Dessert Story — we are really excited to give Sydney a taste of Tokyo with an accessible twist,” Loh says.

The interiors were created by Melbourne studio Architects EAT, whose team looked far and wide for ideas. Interior Designer Morgan Novy says that various everyday spaces in Japan provided inspiration. “We looked at a wide ranges of spaces, such as actual laundry rooms in Japan to add a touch of kitsch playfulness, which was a more literal idea that we utilised for the shop front,” she explains. “The other inspirations were much more conceptual. One came from Japanese spas — there is contrast of colours, soft liberating lighting, and interlaced fabrics mix with the lighting, so your eyes lose focus and you become immersed in the way the space makes

CONTACTS Architects EAT: eatas.com.au Hurst Concepts (Builder): hurstconcepts.com.au Patra Group (Kitchen consultant): patragroup.com.au Ambience Lighting (Ceiling Spots): ambiencelighting.com.au Volker Haug (Column Wall Lights): volkerhaug.com Meizai (Table + Chairs): meizai.com.au Classic Ceramics (Kate Rush Tiles): classicceramics.com.au Academy Tiles (Gabrielle Grace Tiles): academytiles.com.au

you feel. The other was Japanese mountainsides, for their rich colours and layering of ‘nature’s materials’, mixed with some unpredictability and alternate textures.”

TOKYO LOOP Tokyo Laundry is a curved space, requiring guests to walk in a loop from the entrance, through the casual eatery, past the bar to the more formal dining area. On the way are dark shades of timber, brass detailing and an abundance of rich hand-dyed purple fabrics. It is a laundry, after all.

The space itself influenced the design to a great extent, Novy explains. And the aesthetics were purposefully balanced with the busy, corporate built environment. “Our idea was to create a sense of movement and flow throughout the beautiful, long, naturally lit space by layering tones of purple hand dyed fabrics with timbers, steel and stones. This created a distorted notion of ink and water flowing through the space, yet its form is that of a Japanese mountainside.”

— Lucie Robson.

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Slamming Venue Bar Patrón: 2 Phillip Street, Sydney NSW (02) 9259 5624 or www.barpatron.com.au

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ot sure if you’ve noticed, but Mexican has become a thing. The Rockpool Dining Group has noticed. It launched El Camino Cantina a few years back — relaxed, playful Tex-Mex fun. But there was scope for more. And rather than opening another taqueria, it decided to partner with ultra-über-primo tequila producer Patrón for a venue that promises phenomenal margaritas, superior, perky Mexican chow, all in a stunning Circular Quay location.

Grant Cheyne’s interior design delivers hints of elegant Mexican haciendas, Caribbean and Creole bungalows and sub-tropical Queenslander timber homes. A simple white palette is complemented with lush greenery and soft Italian leather upholstery in warm orange and red tones. Retro bronze and glass light fittings, and some antique furnishings, add to the residential and colonial vibe.

Diners can sit at intimate or larger tables, as well as a huge, window-side Carrara marble bar that offers magnificent views of Circular Quay and the Harbour Bridge.

Tequila geeks will have plenty to write home about, including five limited and numbered barrel select tequilas that have been distilled exclusively for Bar Patrón. High flying hombres will want to indulge in a ‘Millionaire Margarita’, which is hand crafted tableside and features Gran Patrón Platinum tequila,

freshly squeezed citrus juice and a salt and sugar-laced rim.

Bar Patrón by Rockpool is also an ideal private event space, accommodating up to 150 guests for cocktail gatherings, including a semi-private VIP area for up to 20 guests. .

MORE THAN MARIACHI

The Rockpool Group uses Sound on Stage for its audiovisual needs. Sound on Stage Projects Engineer Stephen Keane ran point on the Bar Patron job: “The requirement for this project was for a warm-sounding, background music system, with the capability to plug in a DJ station.

“We’ve used a combination of Community in-ceiling loudspeakers and subs, lab.gruppen power amplifiers and dbx signal processing.

It’s not a combination you’ll see everyday, but in our bench testing it’s one that has given us superior results and the best SPL.” The venue is split into two audio zones. Staff can adjust levels individually via an easy to use dbx ZC3 zone controller.

Sound on Stage: (02) 8011 1380 or www.soscomms.net avt (dbx): avt.tech Australis (lab.gruppen): (02) 9698 4444 or www.australismusic.com.au Hills (Community): 1300 445 571 or www.hills.com.au

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Slumming it in Luxury Nobu Hotel Shoreditch: www.nobuhotelshoreditch.com

S

horeditch is the edgy mistress to the City of London’s buttoned up, po-faced businessman.

Shoreditch is every thing the City is not: louche, naughty and chaotic. The City? Well, it’s always been about the money; where fortunes are won and lost.

The thing is, Shoreditch is right on the Square Mile’s doorstep. It’s like keeping your mistress in the bedroom down the hall. Little wonder, then, given its proximity to all the action, that it’s become one of the trendiest districts in London. In it you’ll find respite from the cookie-cutter collection of Westfield retail; along with vibey bars; art galleries; even some oldschool relics of a downmarket Shoreditch. To reinforce the suburb’s cool credentials a laneway was shutdown for a feature film while venue was in town.

EASTENDERS

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The new Nobu Hotel seems perfectly at home in Shoreditch.

The site occupies a sizeable sliver of land nestled in behind the high street. The building itself is brand new — almost like a modernist shiitake mushroom, that’s unexpectedly sprung up, resolutely re-organising the Victorian-era red brick factories to accommodate its exotic charms.

Nobu Hotels is the relatively recent addition to the Nobu Hospitality group, founded by the eponymous chef Nobu Matsuhisa, professional ‘wise guy’ Robert De Niro, and Hollywood

producer Meir Teper.

Nobu is known first for its restaurants, and sure enough, the Shoreditch 240-seat restaurant (designed by Studio PCH) and bar is given pride of place — literally in the pointy end of the property.

The hotel plays host to 141 rooms and seven suites. Each of the guest rooms exudes relaxed sophistication, linking classy design (by local designers, Studio Mica) with contemporary functionality.

MORE THAN NOSH Walk-ins and tourists don’t go to the Nobu restaurant as a rule. It’s not a restaurant for blow-ins. Which is just as well, because Nobu Hotel Shoreditch is impossible to find without a Tom-Tom firmware upgrade — even my London cabbie did a couple of laps before he landed.

Rather, Nobu (the name) is a destination. It’s a place for those who love food and/or love some notoriety. As a destination, Shoreditch is an inspired choice, both as place to stay and a place to eat.

Next stop for Nobu Hotels is Ibiza, Barcelona, Riyadh, Chicago and elsewhere. In so doing, Nobu is creating a global luxury hospitality brand that extends far beyond chef Nobu’s signature dishes. Nobu now is a feeling. .

Let Loose Untied: 400 Barangaroo Avenue, Barangaroo NSW (02) 8322 2099 or untiedsydney.com.au

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ntied is a new restaurant and rooftop bar in Sydney’s freshly minted business district, Barangaroo.

Four floor up, with a large outdoor deck, Untied is ideally positioned — in clear view of thousands of office workers to look down upon, all wistfully thinking ‘that’s where I’d rather be’.

The venue design is by Techne Architecture + Interior Design, led by Kate Archibald. Untied is a Dixon Hospitality venue. Dixon is a large operator based out of Melbourne and was familiar with Techne’s hospitality work, which has primarily been in Melbourne.

The two parties workshopped ideas to ensure Untied was a fun, relaxed, ‘any time’ venue that made the most of the glorious harbour views.

HOUSE PARTY

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“We wanted to recreate the feeling of walking into a house party, stripping back the formality and focusing on achieving a sense of intimacy and vibrancy through design,” says Archibald.

The space is split into two zones, a more casual outdoor bar and a refined dining space internally. Variations in seating structure were utilised to maintain these zones.

Rich interior features comprising timber floorboards, black

CONTACTS Techne: www.techne.com.au Bromic Heating: 1300 276 642 or www.bromic.com.au

marble mosaic and framed mirrors add a sense of moodiness to the dining space.

Exuberant graphic wallpaper punctuates the largely monochromatic palette, drawing on the venue’s tropical inspiration without being too literal in its interpretation.

An abundance of greenery throughout echoes Queensland’s verdant natural landscape.

DECKED OUT “The deck is easily our most popular area,” observes Untied venue manager, Kristien Sykes. And it’s easy to see why.

Client comfort was of key concern to Dixon and Techne from early planning stages.

“We involved Bromic from the planning stage,” recalls Techne’s Kate Archibald. “Bromic was able to send a heating plan through that took into account the tricky installation heights we had to work with on the base build.

“Bromic were really helpful in helping us with choosing the right options.”

Untied is an unbridled success. “We have a wide variety of clientele,” notes Kristien Sykes. “And it’s important our patrons are comfortable when they’re on the deck. The Bromic heating is highly efficient — regardless of where people are, they’re covered. It’s the best venue heating I’ve experienced.” .

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TO MARKET, TO MARKET Paul Wilson puts his money where his biodynamic mouth is. We hear first hand what it takes to launch a restaurant and a brand.

Interview: Christopher Holder Wilson & Market: 163 – 185 Commercial Road, South Yarra VIC wilsonandmarket.com.au

Restaurateur, Paul Wilson.

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he highly anticipated Brasserie opened at Prahran Market last year as part of respected British-born chef and restaurateur Paul Wilson’s exciting rollout of eateries under the Wilson & Market stable.

Harking back to Wilson’s starting point at The Botanical in the ’90s and returning him to the heart of the Melbourne food scene, the new 250-seater venue promises a boisterous, fun atmosphere where a quick meet up can stretch into a long lunch or dinner. venue chatted with Paul Wilson about the experience of opening an ambitious new eating and drinking concept like Wilson & Market and launching a brand. Hint: it wasn’t plain sailing.

MARKET-ING MOVE

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Paul Wilson: The venture was two years in the making. I’ve always been a fan of Melbourne markets and the idea of seasonal produce. Prahran Market was looking for the right tenant to fill a showpiece tenancy; a five-star restaurant, that would draw people to a new entrance and increase foot traffic.

The main challenge we had was with the new front area, the façade, that’s licensed until 3am. It took a long time to get it approved because it’s quite a large space (550sqm), and 3am liquor licences for 250 people don’t get approved very easily. So we had to go to great lengths to provide information that we were a food-based business and not a nightclub.

FINDING A WAY Paul and his team decided to unleash Wilson & Market stage by stage.

Paul Wilson: We decided to expose the business in three layers. Tuckshop opened first — an urban café/hole-in-the-wall offering, serving biodynamic sandwiches, snacks and great single-origin coffee and cold-pressed juices. And that’s at the entry of the market which gets lots of foot traffic.

Then we opened the Wine Store and the lifestyle Café; the table service two months later. And that did quite well initially. It trades particularly well on the weekends, and otherwise goes with the ebb and flow of the market’s weekly and seasonal trade cycle.

Our Brasserie opened mid 2017 and the food media have been all over it — which has been really tremendous.. In Melbourne, if you get a good review, you’re off and running with the foodies. The last stage is the Terrace Bar, and that’s the element that caused all the headache with local Council.

KEEPING AN EYE ON TEAM It’s certainly been a case of ‘what doesn’t break me can only make me stronger’, for Matt. I wondered what practical lessons he’d learned?

Paul Wilson: When you open a restaurant, you can get a little over-focussed on the concept and the fitout, but it’s the team that’s the lifeblood. And keeping that team enthused and positive about what we were about to embark on was the hard-

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People thought we were lunatics to go biodynamic, but it’s proven to be a great business decision – Paul Wilson

est thing. It’s very hard to find good people. Fortunately, I’ve had a good career in Melbourne and I’ve worked with a lot of good people… but keeping them onside over an extended build was the hardest thing.

FROM THE HEART Wilson & Market, is very close to Paul’s heart; it’s clear that it’s something he believes in.

Paul Wilson: One of the goals we set ourselves was to open a Brasserie which had a uniquely Australian feel. For example, most of the art is local.

The wine list celebrates the best of Victoria and Australia. The spirits in the bar are all Australian.

Certainly, our produce and our food philosophy is very much celebrating the best of Australia. And it’s very casual but sophisticated and the service is in that laneway.

I think 10 or 15 years ago you couldn’t have opened a restaurant like this because there wasn’t the resources; there wasn’t the supply; there wasn’t the people.

At the moment we’re so fortunate to have so many talented people come into our industry, do great things; not just with cookery and design but with farming and winemaking and spirit-making… everything. The whole food industry has come ahead in leaps and bounds and we’re a world-class force. It’s wonderful to be able to showcase that.

BIODYNAMISM: DOWN ON THE FARM More than 90 percent of the restaurant’s food is biodynamic. Sounds virtuous and onerous. But the reality is quite the opposite, according to Paul.

Paul Wilson: It’s just locally sourced, naturally grown food. The farms are only an hour from the restaurant. The farmers produce the food without pesticides; it’s GM free; it’s completely natural food without any artificial support. Plus it’s a community farm and everything we invest in that community farm goes back into that community.

It’s a lovely, very sustainable business.

It forces you to be more spontaneous and serve seasonal food — we write our menus around what the farmers deliver. That excites me as a chef and it keeps the crew on their toes.

People thought we were lunatics to go biodynamic, but it’s proven to be a great business decision. The food is cheaper than any food I’ve bought in my whole career! There’s no middle man: we buy the crops, it’s delivered and we hardly have any wastage. If I was dealing with a wholesaler, you’d be back to negotiating all the time and the prices would change every week. It’s an absolute tug of war. I deal with two people. It’s been very refreshing.

PEAK BURGER? I wondered if Paul felt Wilson & Market represented a new phase in Melbourne eating. Has Melbourne hit ‘peak hamburger’?

Paul Wilson: Oh mate, absolutely. The food industry is very jaded and the customers are very jaded. A lot of people in the industry are over hamburgers.

Saying that, I think it was terrific we had that explosion of fast, casual eateries but restaurants are now making a decision about which way to go next. Do you want to stay in this fast, casual lane or do you want to be more ambitious? By which I mean, do you want to cultivate revenue in the old-fashioned way, with skill and expertise and employing philosophies that makes you a great restaurant?

I do think Melbourne’s certainly about to own the fine dining realm again. There’s lots of activity, with the right restaurateurs luring top talent from Sydney to Melbourne, and we’re seeing the right investment with fitouts and infrastructure.

We’re in the thick of it in Chapel Street, Windsor. You see a lot of those groovy, pan-Asian-style venues which have been amazing in the last five years falling away — closing or rejigging or reshuffling. So I think there is definitely a change of guard.

ETHICAL CHOOK ROLL OUT

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After a difficult birth it feels like Paul remains quite determined to roll out the Wilson & Market brand without too much delay.

Paul Wilson: Yes. Only because our sales tell me there’s the opportunity to do really fantastic, ethically-based rotisserie chicken in the retail space.

That’s something we’re looking to roll out quite quickly and do it really well, and something I’d feel comfortable with. I’m not the sort of chef that would tackle fast food, although there are certain chefs that do — it doesn’t suit my training and philosophies of why I became a chef. I’d love to do something that has a bit more meaning, and from what we’ve learnt in setting up Wine Store, we think there’s also a good opportunity there in the wine bar realm — a small food offering with beverage being the hero. venue: So we’re looking at a Wilson & Market group then?

Paul Wilson: I don’t want to become a huge group because I think you lose sight of why you enjoy opening a restaurant and I don’t think Melbourne can sustain a large group either. But I think three or four food and wine-based businesses is a realistic goal for us.

Under that ‘Australian casual/sophisticated brand’ I think there’s a gap in the market for me.

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Capital Works The Capital: 50 View St, Bendigo, VIC www.thecapital.com.au

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ocated in Bendigo, two hours north-northwest of Melbourne, The Capital Theatre was built in 1873 as a masonic hall, when the big Corinthian columns and Octastyle porticos of the Renaissance Revival were in vogue. The cement rendered building is ornate, and it looks brilliant — so good that it has a dreaded heritage overlay.

If a tour is hitting Bendigo, punters will often head there because accommodation is cheap and the area is beautiful. With Bendigo’s new 1000-seat Ulumbarra theatre getting new gear, including a d&b line array and Yamaha CL5 digital console, it felt like the 480-seat Capital Theatre was lagging behind.

When some capital funding came the Capital’s way to upgrade the venue’s PA, head technician Mickey Levis knew he didn’t want to make the decision in isolation. He invited other technicians, local theatre and hire companies to be part of the process. He then put out a call for any distributors who wanted to be part of the shootout, coming out with a handful of high quality PAs that fit under the budget ceiling.

48

LIVE PLAY LIST Throughout the big test day, no one knew which PA they were listening to or what price point each came in at. Everyone

CONTACTS KV2 Audio: www.kv2audio.com

took notes and they went across to the pub to chat about it.

With all the feedback and written reports, Levis said it was almost unanimous, everyone loved the sound of the KV2 Audio rig. After showing the rig to management at the end of the process, they were pretty happy that it also came in at $35,000 less than any other contender.

The system now installed at the Capital is a pair of KV2 Audio ESR215 full-range, three-way loudspeakers. With its 110-degree dispersion and centrally-located mid and hi drivers, it works best flown where the top end can spread out rather than hit you in the stomach in a ground stacked setup. It pairs with the ESR3000 control device containing six individual amplifiers with separate Class AB topologies to match the components each is driving.

The system also has two VHD 2.18J subs mounted under the stage to reinforce the low end, driven by a separate VHD3200 amplifier. Three perfectly-timed EX26 front fill speakers are embedded into the stage. The whole system sounds fantastic, and gets great coverage across the venue without the sense of losing one side as soon as you step off the centre line. It’s a testament that sometimes flashy line arrays, with loads of processing aren’t always the best solution; point source boxes tied to a Class AB amplifier can still sound spectacular… and apparently come in much cheaper, too. .

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