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Rich Bastards Anonymous D
id you know that Tag Heuer is pronounced Tag Hoyer, and not Tag Heurghhh? You did? Well, you’re doing better than me. Did you know that Longines (pronounced: Lawn-jean and not Long’ns) has released its Quadruple Retrograde with more needles than a Spitfire cockpit? I bet you did. Welcome to the rarified world of Rich Bastards’ Watches. But the thing is, Rich Bastards’ Watches seem to be advertised everywhere and not just in Rich Bastards’ Monthly. I don’t know what we’re advertising on the back of venue at the moment but if it’s not Rolex then I’d better have a stern word with our sales department. I mean, seems like every newspaper supplement has an Omega ad on the back, and unless I’m very much mistaken even the June edition of the Wiggles magazine had a Jaeger-Le Coultre (pronounced Zsa-Cher Le Cootre, if you can believe it) liftout. So I’m beginning to feel just a little left out. Everyone who’s anyone has a Rich Bastard’s Watch and I don’t. But here’s the first problem I have: a Rich Bastard’s Watch requires mondo amounts of dosh. These watches can cost more than what my car’s worth. And, sure, I understand there’s a lot of precision hand-sprung expertise going on here and an army of old men with bionic eyeballs and nanotools have been triple-repeating their perpetual jump-hours to bring these marvels of engineering to Rich Bastards the world over… but… 50 grand for a watch? Gimme a break. The other small issue I have with Rich Bastards’ Watches is: they’re all so butt-ugly! As far as I can tell, Rich Bastards’ Watches fall into two categories. First up, you can go for a haute-fashion timepiece from ‘classic’ names in chronography like Louis Vuitton or Salvatore Ferragamo and walk away with some odd-ball item not out of place on a catwalk on the planet Bizarro. Sure, you might look all intriguing and avant garde now, but next year you’re stuck with a $20k paper weight. On the other hand (so to speak), go for something more classic — by which I mean a watch with a big hand, a little hand and a tick-tock hand, rather than a heaving glob of plasma that simultaneously tells you the time and what celestial epoch you’re about to head into — then you’re likely to need a wrist the size of Lars ‘World’s Strongest Cod Trawlerman’ Friedulricksen to accommodate it. That’s right, watches are now bigger than dinner plates. I’m not sure
why, I guess if you’ve just sold all your children into slavery to afford your Officiel Suisse Maurice Lacroix Tourbillion then presumably you want other Rich Bastards to see it — “Gazooks, look at that Rich Bastard’s watch. It’s the size of a flippin’ dartboard!”. So, in summary, people the world over are falling over themselves to buy gaudy, over-priced, over-sized amulets with subjectively little aesthetic appeal. Worse still, people grab a whole bagful of ripoff gaudy, over-sized amulets from Bangkok! You’d have to have rocks in your head, surely? Quality and looks are important. More important than a name. Don’t get sucked into name-chasing, always apply a ‘quality and appearance’ filter to any significant purchase. When it comes to furniture, for example, you’d be amazed at the quality, looks and value you can squeeze from a reputable custom furniture manufacturer. And don’t be discouraged by some of the luxe fitouts in our pages, they’re the equivalent to a Tiger Woods (bless his cotton socks) or a Cindy Crawford on the back page of Rich Bastards’ Monthly with they’re Omega or Rolex… they have their place, even if it’s not in yours.
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Christopher Holder, Editorial Director chris@venuemag.com
» Tag Heurgh timepiece: Too big to fit on the wrist of
the world’s ‘loneliest’ athlete? Case closed.
ONLY… Sydney Brisbane
Melbourne Perth
02 9748 1122 www.showtech.com.au
Q: Where do I see the latest club lighting and staging systems in action? Q: How do I save money & the environment with a venue control system? Q: Big screens‌ which is the best for my venue? Q: How do I get into digital signage? Q: Where can I get the best advice about a PA upgrade? A: Integrate 2010
2010 24–26 August 2010 Hordern Pavilion & Royal Hall of Industries Moore Park, Sydney
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» issue thirty four January
2010
62 — Alfresco Special
Doing it outdoors.
48 — The Mill
58 — Golden Sheaf
Come one, come all to Double Bay.
38 — St Jerome
44 — Sergeant’s Mess
Weddings, parties, anything.
Suburban Superpub.
Jerome Borzario’s back alley success.
52 — Sofitel No. 35
Fine dining and high times.
Grand Hotel, Mornington – Victoria
2009 Australian Hotels Association National Awards for Excellence Best Gaming Venue (Country)
Photography: Rhiannon Slatter
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™
» Cover: Opera Bar, Sydney » Photo: Mark Pakula
Hotels & Clubs Cullen Hotel — 14 Sebel Albert Park — 15 Sussex Hotel — 34 Advertising Office: (02) 9986 1188 PO Box 6216, Frenchs Forest, NSW 2086 Editorial Office: (03) 5331 4949 PO Box 295, Ballarat, VIC 3353 Publication Manager: Stewart Woodhill (stewart@venuemag.com) Editorial Director: Christopher Holder (chris@venuemag.com) Publisher: Philip Spencer (philip@venuemag.com) Assistant Editor: Mark Davie (mark@venuemag.com) Art Direction & Design: Dominic Carey (dominic@alchemedia.com.au) Additional Design: Jody Hayes (Jody@alchemedia.com.au) Circulation Manager: Miriam Mulcahy (subscriptions@alchemedia.com.au) Accounts: Jen Temm (accounts@alchemedia.com.au)
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 © 2009 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.
Bars & Pubs Middle Park Hotel Ladylux Golden Sheaf Hotel The Mill
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30 18 58 48
Restaurants Rockpool — 36 Cargo — 32 Sofitel’s No. 35 — 52 Convention/Function Space Sergeant’s Mess — 44 Doltone House — 20 Alfresco Special Lake Hotel Penrith Panthers Mr Wilkinson Opera Bar South Sydney Graphic Arts Club Palmz at Carlton Boring But Important
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64 65 66 67 68 69 70
News Lit > Sit > Kit — 22 Commercial Edge — 72
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tidbit
Cullen Hotel Is All Art The Cullen Hotel, featuring the art of enfant terrible Adam Cullen, is the first hotel off the rank for the Deague-owned Art Series Hotel Group. Well, there was The Storrier, in Sydney, but that was under the A Hotel Group (another Deague company), and has since sold it on to Quest. It’s part of a collection of hotels that will all be inspired by Australian artists. The next additions to the boutique line will be The Olsen (as previewed in last issue’s news) and The Blackman, but The Cullen is the first fruit of the concept, spearheaded by young Melbourne property dynamo, William Deague. The hotel isn’t just a hotel with fancy art on the walls, it seems the fully-appointed, five-star, six-storey boutique hotel and its soon-to-be siblings are vying for the Sofitel’s ‘hotel for the arts’ title. As well as a strong collection of Cullen’s work on display, the hotel has plastered a fleet of Smart Cars and push bikes with Cullen’s works for guests to tour around in, and in-house curator Jane O’Neill is always on hand to guide guests through the top exhibitions and galleries. Other high profile names attached to the project include former Hawthorn football stars Shane Crawford and Ben Dixon, who offer guests personal training services in the gym or out in the park, and restaurateur George Rizk (Toscani’s, Café Florentine) who opened the Terrace Bar & Bistro. Renowned architect David Hicks has dressed up the Ornate Hair Salon with a bit of Hollywood glamour for hairdresser Nathan Weymouth’s style set clientele. » The Cullen Hotel: 164 Commercial Road, Prahran VIC (03) 9098 1555 or www.artserieshotel.com.au/the-cullen » Photo: Anson Smart
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Music Video Watch Tiësto & Sneaky Sound System, I Will Be Here venue casts a sly eye over the latest in pop music videos. I’m guessing everyone here has heard of Sensation? It’s a giant international rave party franchise; enormous one-off events characterised by their all-white dress code. Click through the Sensation site and — whether it be Vienna, Amsterdam or Riga — you’re confronted by image libraries of countless thousands of luvved-up recent grads of Supermodel High wearing scraps of white tissue paper and Dunlop Volleys. Powering all these shape-throwing, laser-lit all-nighters, is Trance — Trance music is like some four-on-the-floor sub-atomic strong force binding together Sensation’s hi-glam, unblemished vitamin-water world. Trance is all about no-nonsense synth stabs, epic strings and endless snare rolls, and it’s been the same equation since Robert Miles went to No. 1 with his tinkly Euro instrumental masterpiece in the mid ’90s. Its longevity says one thing: this stuff sounds amazing through big club systems, so why mess with the formula?
The Sebel Albert Park Windows Upgrade
If you’re a venue into its electronica then I’m preaching to the choir. If you’re not, then you’re hardly going to have Tiësto pumping through the PA post the footy broadcast. But, you’re missing out.
Talk about a tasty prospect! The Sebel Albert Park decided to show off its multi-million dollar refurb and renewed push into the conferencing market with a ‘Winemaker’s Dinner’. The dinner saw Chandon teaming with Sebel’s Executive Chef Andy North to concoct an evening of perfectly matched wine and food. As I say, a tasty prospect. What’s more Andy North decided to look up his old mate Shane Delia (Maha) — a lasting friendship forged in the kitchens of the Sofitel as apprentices — and bring him in on the evening. So, in summary, two of Melbourne’s best chef’s cooking up a storm with some of the freshest, tastiest table and sparkling wines from one of the country’s foremost producers.
Tiësto is big — arguably the world’s most sought after DJ — but not so big as to miss out on this interesting dalliance with Aussie disco warriors, Sneaky Sound System. And, as a song, I Will Be Here has everything… everything that every other trance hit of the last 10 years has had, that is. But it’s a bloody brilliant bass bin buster nonetheless. The visuals are something else. I Will Be Here finds a lone Japanese office worker downloading a Tiësto cut from his Mac. Oddly, the music-to-go medium of choice is a Sony cassette which he pops into his retro Sony Walkman (no guessing who Tiësto’s signed to). There’s no need for headphones because, conveniently, office geezer has a white Tiësto-customised woofer he straps to his back, like a long-excursion, 18-inch
The evening lived up to all expectations. Windows restaurant and more broadly speaking, The Sebel Albert Park won many new friends and impressed some old ones. The offering was truly world class.
industrial vacuum cleaner. Then Whammo! Office geezer is
And if such a night is staged to shine the spotlight on Mirvac Hotels’ considerable investment, well, mission accomplished there as well. The 4.5-star Sebel Albert Park Melbourne has never looked more stylish, felt more comfortable. The guestrooms have been completely overhauled and now boast new beds and bedding, modern lounges, contemporary furnishings, LCD TVs, wireless and broadband internet.
up as an entertainer at kids’ parties.
transformed into a strobing automaton… I mean, this bloke takes ‘doing the robot’ to a whole knew cyber-dimension. One suspects he must have servos in his joints and surely must clean Japanese Robot Dude’s rear-firing dance piston pumps out the world’s finest trance into the streets of a dozing Tokyo, turning the lights of Asia’s original megatropolis into real-time spectrum analyser — the buildings throbbing away like giant LED bars. I Will Be Here is four minutes of you-beaut euphoria, but I could watch Japanese Cyber Guy all day — oil his joints, wind him up and give him a VIP pass to the next Sensation I say. In the meantime, I’ll be looking for the extended club mix so I can
The conferencing facilities are also first class, the bar and café all point to a modern and stylish hotel fit to tackle everything today’s business and leisure traveller might throw at it.
experience the missing two-minute snare roll. — CH.
» The Sebel Albert Park: 65 Queens Road Melbourne VIC (03) 9529 4300 or www.mirvachotels.com
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flit Venues in the News In line with this issue’s Alfresco Special, 6000 ticket holders recently packed their picnic baskets and strolled across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for a picnic as part of the Crave Sydney festival. Six lanes of the bridge were covered in kikuyu grass, as Sydneysiders unravelled their picnic blankets and swapped traffic jams for apricot jam. NSW Government Ditches POPE — Cutting the red tape surrounding venues holding live music. Essentially the change means live entertainment is now considered to go hand in hand with running a hospitality venue. Own a café, then you shouldn’t be stopped when considering hiring a jazz trio to boost your Sunday afternoon trade, and give some musicians a gig. Hopefully, it’ll be a winwin for all involved. Correction: The Highlights special last issue (Issue 33) had lights designed by Fabbian, not Fabian as published, which would have led any interested parties down the garden path. The lights are available from Beacon Lighting Commercial: (03) 9369 1000 or www.beaconlightingcommercial.com.au Also, in mentioning the stunning Belair Hotel last issue, we overlooked the considerable input of the owners Brett and Sarah Matthews; Carlo Panazzo of Folland Panazzo Architects; Carmine Parletta and Advanced Building Construction. All of who worked alongside Enoki to create a lovely addition to the Adelaide scene — nice work chaps.
Café Vue At Heide At the opening of Café Vue at the Heide Modern Museum of Art in Melbourne, Minister of for the Arts, Lynne Kosky, pronounced chef/owner Shannon Bennett an “artist in the true sense of the word”. Kosky may well have been referring to Bennett’s best known work of art Vue de Monde, the café’s fine dining namesake, but the fact she was delivering her oration at Heide gave the observation extra pathos. That’s right, one of Melbourne’s finest chefs has struck up an alliance with the Modern Museum. It’s a big win for The Arts. And it’s a win for Bennett too. After years of trying to goad his body corporate into letting him plant alfalfa on the Vue de Monde tenancy roof, he finally has a garden to play with at Heide. The Heide green thumbs are all too happy to have produce from the onsite Sunday Reed’s Vegetable Garden whipped up into some fancy nosh for visitors to the Museum. And it means that all the waste will go straight into the on-site composting system and right back into the garden beds to help fertilise a new batch of tasty vegies. The building is designed by Chris Connell around the existing carport structure and is the sort of minimal glasshouse that suits Heide II’s modernist aesthetic. But the star will be Bennett’s cooking as the café side of his brand continues to expand and spread that Vue taste further and wider. » Café Vue At Heide: 7 Templestowe Road, Bulleen VIC (03) 9852 2346 or www.heide.com.au/heide_cafe » Chris Connell Design: (03) 8598 2222 or www.chrisconnell.com.au » McCorkell Constructions: (03) 9243 6000 or www.mccorkell.net.au » Lateral Projects & Development: (03) 9411 2500 or www.lateralprojects.com.au » Photos: Jim Lee
Sheraton On The Park in Sydney has been named Australasia’s Leading Conference Hotel at the 2009 World Travel Awards for the third year in a row. The award is voted on by 167,000 travel agents and professionals worldwide, who rated the hotel number one for its choice of 17 function rooms, innovations and quality of service. La Piazza’s Moretti brothers are moving to their own pizzeria in Chiswick, to be called Pizzitalia. Riccardo Moretti proved that pizza is still the domain of adolescent males by taking out New South Wales best traditional pizza maker for the second year in a row at the ripe ol’ age of 18. His brother Michael took out top prize in the small goods section with his Facila pizza. The brothers plan to bring some of their classic pizzas with them, as well as devising some inspired new recipes. Pizzitalia will be about “gourmet pizzas, but not at gourmet prices,” said Michael. Fortitude Valley cleaned up when the police moved in a decade ago. Since then, the rise of a number of clubs has turned The Valley into one of the hottest nightspots in the country. But big clubs tend to draw the odd troublemaker, making the Valley more prone to trouble than most entertainment precincts. The Valley Liquor Accord, a quorum of nightclub owners in the area, is upping the ante with fingerprint scanning at club entrances. It’s designed to increase patrons’ accountability for their actions and is a step up from the photo ID scanning previously instated. But it’s got the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties up in arms about where all those greasy prints are being stored. For now the devices will make it into the entranceways of the Katarzyna group’s venues, including Empire, Family, Press Club and the gigantic Cloudland. But will soon be implemented across many more clubs in the near future. Simon Mercier, he of The Whitehorse Hotel fame in Surry Hills has opened a new bar in Sydney’s Taylor Square. Or has he? Located on the site of the old Deck Bar the bar doesn’t have a concept, a name, a style, a fitout… it’s got nothing. And people are loving it! Simon says of the grand opening: “They were not only writing their ideas for names up on the wall, but also concepts for the bar, as well. I think we’ll let it run over Christmas and finalise a winning concept in the New Year.” The 2009 AHA (NSW) Awards for Excellence saw Terrey Hills Tavern take out the prestigious Overall City Hotel of the Year and The Entrance won Overall Country Hotel of the Year. Other notable gong recipients include: Chef of the Year: Jason Lucas, Cruise Bar; Gastronomic Hotel of the Year: Riverview Hotel; Heritage/Iconic Hotel of
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flit the Year: The Australian Hotel and the Rag and Famish Hotel (joint winners); Best New/Redeveloped Hotel Country: Clocktower Hotel, Grafton; and Best Tourism Initiative: Bonville International Golf Resort. Congrats to these worthy winners. Pop up bars might be fly by night but it doesn’t stop purveyors of liquor investing considerable resources and inspiration into them. Witness the work of boutique New Zealand wine brand Stoneleigh, which has teamed up with designers Kelvin Ho and Jeremy Bull to create a primo pop up bar, called the Stoneleigh Lounge. The bar will be hopping about Australia following arts festivals.
Ladylux Makes Its Own Luck Ladylux has gone for a 1960s James Bond clashes with Baroque look for its refurbishment, which means the first thing you can expect to see would be a Philippe Starck gun lamp. What you would perhaps not expect to see, but would look equally at home in Blofeld’s lair, is a piranha tank. It seems, Ladylux has embraced the idea of ‘You only live twice’ with its second go round. Scott Bayly opened Ladylux in 2003 and ran successfully for five years before deciding to renovate with a new level of sophistication and style. Other owner David Freeman came to the party recently and wanted the venue to work on a couple of different levels. “We’ve designed the lounge area and VIP room to have a more sophisticated style, where people can enjoy fine wines and catch up with friends. The dancefloor and DJ area have a more underground New York club feeling.” The club feeling is helped by a top notch Funktion One, BSS-distributed sound system specified by DJW Projects, and supplied and installed by Nightworks Audio that will suit the summer line up of international acts. But before the system could go up, DJW Projects (in assocation with The Acoustic Group) ensured sound transmission to the upper floors of the building was kept to a minimum — and they’ve achieved some impressive results. Nightworks also had a hand in the lighting installation, choosing to go with Studio Due Shark 250 moving yoke lights and sinking Pro Shop LED strips into the dance floor. The system is all controlled by an e:cue Butler Silver which has a handy touch screen control in the DJ booth. Sydney designer, Thomas Bucich, has filled the interior with rich Baroque colours, platinum and walnut finishes, custom carpet with the Ladylux logo integrated into it, and Baroque hand-painted wall finishes by Sydney decorative painter Mark Stanford. And an exclusive upholstered Absolut members’ room and Tanqueray Martini bar are also new features of the lush new Ladylux. » LadyLux: 2 Roslyn Street, Kings Cross, NSW (02) 9361 5000 or www.ladylux.com.au » Bucich Art + Design: (02) 9357 6333 or thomas@bucich.com » DJW Projects: (02) 9114 9993 or www.djwprojects.com.au » Nightworks Audio: (02) 9531 5780 or www.nightworksaudio.com.au » Funktion One: 0411 747 369 » Jands (BSS): (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au » Show Technology (Lighting): (02) 9748 1122 or www.showtech.com.au » ULA Group (e:Cue): 1300 852 476 or sales@ulagroup.com » Photos: Paul Green
Guests at Sofitel Brisbane Central are privy to the latest in hotel cuisine at the freshly made restaurant, Prive 249. It’s actually the private dining space in the corner of Thyme 2, but the look and atmosphere has been totally transformed to give it its own identity.
Pushka, the tiniest café ever (not trademarked, but likely true), is getting redesigned. Well, sort of. A creative team from RMIT, called BOWER, made up of a few lecturers and talented students, is using Pushka as a foundation for some creative experimentation. It will be overhauled four times this year, with the first installation turning Pushka a little green.
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flit Salvatore Malatesta has finally opened the much anticipated Sensory Lab, designed by Hecker, Phelan & Guthrie. Parked right at the entrance to the new David Jones store, dead-on-their-feet shoppers can take a break and nut out their perfect coffee blend with the help of one of the ‘scientists’, or just grab a latté from the express window. But with a Clover machine, Slayer espresso machine and a handful of siphons you can be sure this is the place to come to learn everything you need to know about the little black bean. Salvatore has also opened the pint-sized Outpost with chef Paul Jewson, which is more of a kitchen away from kitchen, as the chefs and staff mill about in the same space as diners. The Waterside Hotel has opened The Galley Room, the latest addition to the Flinders Street pub that has been busy expanding all its floors.
Adelaide Casino is bringing back the grandeur and elegance with a $5m redevelopment of Marble Hall, including a custom-built chandelier weighing almost a tonne, and no, that’s not mere hyperbole. The 19th century hall now houses classic table games like blackjack and roulette, and a glamorous new Chandelier Bar with that aforementioned 7.2m diameter chandelier, which is the biggest in Adelaide. It took four companies working together to make the chandelier; Webb+, Custom Lighting, Norman Disney and Young Light. It’s made of 2029 glass bubbles of varying sizes hand blown in Italy. It’s a nod to the heyday of the Marble Hall, when it featured three chandeliers, each made up of 27,000 crystals and 90 globes. But the new addition definitely outweighs them all. HP&G has lost that lovin’ Phelan: Paul Hecker and Hamish Guthrie announced that Kerry Phelan is leaving the highly regarded design firm to pursue individual interests in the new year. Over the last decade the three have been busy building a folio of work that anyone would be proud of. And as three becomes two, Hecker and Guthrie reckon their output won’t be harmed, while wishing Phelan all the best for her future endeavours.
Doltone’s Rising Star Star ratings can be a mixture of a thorn in the hospitality industry’s side and simultaneously its greatest ally. But when there are countless rating bodies all with different standards, some trumped-up four stars end up being little more than a two-bit black hole. It’s a sour taste for duped consumers, that’s only further confused by throwing in Michelin stars — with its confusingly low star count — or trying to ascertain exactly how many hats a chef can possibly wear. It was perhaps inevitable then that consumers would take over and start issuing their own ratings online like, “Helpful staff, A+, but the asparagus salad gets a limp F”. But Doltone House’s star in Darling Island Wharf is rising on a rating that’s trumping the trends at the moment. This latest addition to the Doltone House events space brand is in a new six green star-rated building across from Star City, with tenants including Accenture and the uber-cool nerds at Google HQ that qualify it as the place to be for forward thinkers. The building is built on a ‘foundation’ of sustainability, certified top of the tree by the Green Building Council of Australia. It’s the first to receive the accreditation in NSW, and the second in Australia. Pipped by Melbourne’s brand new convention centre. Doltone House, and designers, Geyer, have adhered to the sustainable philosophy, using green-minded materials, processes and consultants along the way to ensure a six-star green-rated business, not just a building. The main conference space can seat 800, and with two bars, can be split in half, or any which way desirable. And clients can take a breather in the outdoor breakout areas lining the wharf. The smaller Parkview Room is a great conferencing addition that can be broken down into smaller meeting areas. While the café, Bar Biaggio, opens out onto the concourse, giving passers-by a taste of Doltone.
Make revamped the Ruby Nightclub recently, transforming the rear of the club into an intimate lounge space, and wrapping the club in some new op art inspired wall graphics that’s sure to make punters question exactly how many they’ve had — RSA by illusion. Give your venue a free plug. Send through your news and any photos to Mark: mark@venuemag.com
Most of Doltone House’s produce is sourced from right outside their door. Each month, a grower’s market draws hundreds of local producers to the wharf, and Doltone makes the most of the opportunity to craft its own ‘100mile’ menu. The café isn’t finished quite yet, and already underway is a food emporium and restaurant where locals can purchase ingredients used at Doltone House, eat some wood-fired pizza or sit down at the captain’s table for an intimate cooking class. » Doltone House Darling Island Wharf: 48 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW (02) 8571 0622 or www.doltonehouse.com.au » Geyer: (02) 9248 3222 or www.geyer.com.au
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www.samsunglfd.com Ph: 1300 666 099 sales@idt.com.au www.idt.com.au
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lit Haron Robson Pads Reservoir Haron Robson recently won plaudits for its mega-hoist contraptions at the Bankstown Sports Club, and it also won a commendation for the Paddington Reservoir. The lighting design Haron Robson employed on the heritage-listed Paddington Reservoir is two-fold, required to highlight the remnants of the site’s historic walls and vaults, while focusing on the high-drama spaces and materials, using a dramatic but sympathetic design approach. The design also ensures energy efficiency and low maintenance installation, and stunningly illuminates the large space. » Haron Robson: (02) 9819 6611 or www.haronrobson.com.au
QPAC Packs In The Anolis The Queensland Performing Arts Centre recently came into $34m for a complete overhaul courtesy of the Queensland Government. It’s the first time QPAC has had a makeover since 1985 — not a good look. AECOM senior lighting designer, Rick Morrison, in conjunction with QPAC’s lighting manager, Doug Brimblecombe, specified a heap of Anolis LED fixtures for the new fitout, because not only do they fit the bill aesthetically, they’re easy on power consumption, making for a solid longterm investment. Over 50 Anolis Arcline36 Optic RGB strips were installed in the Concert Hall for roof and wall washing, as well as underneath the foyer bars. Anolis ArcSource 7 Warm White fixtures were installed over the top of the bars, and 40 SGM Pablo’s were used for organ and ceiling lighting. In total, 14 Anolis Drivers were used included Anolis Arcpower 360 DMX, Arcpower 144, and Arcpower 36 units. Brimblecombe said, “Anolis has proved to be very reliable and achieved really good outcomes in terms of creating a feel or environment for patrons.” Brimblecombe was so impressed he even used the few strips left over in the theatrical setup. » ULA Group: 1300 852 476 or sales@ulagroup.com
Balls Up Perth-based Lux Events recently took delivery of 36 Pro Shop 500mm LED Balls with the intention of installing them into Connections Nightclub. However, prior to the installation, the LED Balls were given a run for their money at the West Coast Eagles Gala Auction where they were positioned as a tiered chandelier in the middle of the room. Utilising Tri-Colour LED technology, the 500mm sphere is bright and saturated while remaining even across its surface. It features direct DMX and power connection reducing setup times, making it perfect for that little bit of colour theming. But the LED Balls were promised to Connections Nightclub and so the events team had to say farewell and wish them well in their new home. Now they’re happily running off a grandMA with a playback wing, having only just retired their MA Scancommander after years of quality service. “It’s amazing that it’s still going and has served us so well — a real testament to the brand”, said Glen Hunter, Creative Director at Lux Events. » Show Technology: (02) 9748 1122 or www.showtech.com.au
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Snap In Half Snap chair from Movisi, Germany is designed by Karim Rashid. The ‘TwoFace’ of chairs is constructed from expanded polypropylene and a strong metal frame. Snap can come in one or two different colours, and although fun, is a practical chair that can suit a multitude of environments.
» Form & Function: 0438 378 335 or info@form-function.com.au
Plastic Papyrus The Papyrus chair is a new piece in the Kartell collection designed by French designers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec and is a nod to the classic drawing room chair. Papyrus combines a translucent structure with a finely ridged grassy texture, which covers the outer surface like upholstery. The entire chair is very light, while the range of transparent colours in the collection highlights the textured surface and ribbed structure. Easily stackable they can be used for use in both in and out doors. Available in transparent crystal, orange red, rust, olive green, powder blue, smoke brown, and smoke grey. » Space Furniture: (02) 8339 7588 or info@spacefurniture.com.au
Scribble Out The Scribble series, designed by Claesson Koivisto Rune for Tacchini, is a plywood shell that’s fully foamed and upholstered in house fabric, leather or to specification. It comes in a chair, high back chair, armchair with swivel or sled base, and lounge chair. All bases are mild steel and finished in bright chrome or powdercoat. » Stylecraft: (02) 9355 0000 or www.stylecraft.com.au
Nirvana In A Chair
Spike It Up Spike Stools and Table is a modern ensemble by UFO through pomp. The contemporary ‘50s-inspired steel rod frame makes it suitable for commercial use in cafés, bars and hotels. Spike is designed for indoor and outdoor use in a choice of Dulux powdercoat colours, with table size options available upon request. » Pomp: (03) 9696 9669 or pomp@pomp.com.au
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The Nirvana armchair has resort written all over it. That combination of goose feather padding covered in soft leather, a solid wood base and steel frame means it could survive as long as guests want to spend in it, which would be years. Price starts at $8600, depending on the options. » Classique: (02) 4372 1672 or www.classique.net.au
Seamless Performance The new Samsung UT series of Super Narrow Bezel LCD screens delivers stunning image quality across multiple screens for a virtually seamless performance.
“World’s Thinnest Bezel for an LCD Large Format Screen.” 460UT, 460UTn and 460UTn-UD LCD Displays offer: • Commercial DID LCD for 24 hour 7 day usage. • 700 NITS brightness with 3000:1 Contrast ratio. • 460UTn includes integrated thin client PC with MagicInfo-i digital signage client server software. • 460UTn-UD Ultra Definition model lets you display any combination of videos, streaming content, ultra-high resolution images on up to 250 monitors from up to 125 input sources. • Bezel width 2.4mm right and bottom 4.3mm top and left for image to image gap of 6.7mm. • Compatible with the MID-2 Video Wall Kit (optional) for free standing video wall applications.
2.4mm BEZEL!
For more information on the new Samsung UT series Screens, contact your Samsung Distributor:
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Ph: 1300 362 363 www.wbtd.com.au sales@wbtd.com.au
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www.samsunglfd.com Ph: 1300 666 099 sales@idt.com.au www.idt.com.au
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kit Laruche — Hive of Activity The team behind West End’s Lychee Lounge has unveiled a stunning new venue called Laruche. Laruche (French for ‘The Hive’) lives for art, and some of the blown glass work is jaw dropping. We’ll explore Laruche in more detail in a future issue, but we have some detail on the audio setup we can share. Parker Black Pro Audio has installed an all HK Audio system comprising two HK Audio CT-118 subs, two HK Audio CT-112 mid/ highs, two HK Audio CT-108 room fills and two HK Audio LUCAS Smart Systems. Two MC2 Audio T-3500 power amplifiers and a HK Audio DSM 2060 system processor drive the system. Laruche’s Entertainment Coordinator had this to say: “The dispersion and warmth of the speakers allow the patrons to enjoy a drink and not have to yell at each other. Yet at the same time, they can completely get immersed in the music and dance.” » CMI (HK Audio & MC2 Audio): (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au
All-Weather Tannoys
Hitachi Aims For 4000
Designed for a bunch of sound reinforcement applications, the Tannoy Di5 is a high performance, ultra compact surface mount weather resistant loudspeaker. A full bandwidth loudspeaker designed for commercial, professional and residential applications where environment durability and high quality sonic performance are required. Indoor or outdoor, these speakers are well suited to restaurants and cafés. Other trim colours can be created.
Hitachi has set the benchmark at 4000 for its latest CP-X4020 3LCD projector. That is, it has a brightness of 4000 ANSI lumens, making it perfect for clear and bright images in large meeting rooms. And the new hybrid filter improves maintenance frequency from the typical 100 hours to 4,000 hours, which is good news for halls with projectors in the roof. It also has XGA resolution, 2,000:1 contrast ratio, blackboard/whiteboard mode, theft protection, and only weighs 4.2kg. Price is $2595. » Hitachi: 1800 448 224 or www.hitachi.com.au
» Syntec: 1800 648 628 or www.syntec.com.au
dB At The Opera dB Technologies is now shipping the first installment of the Opera digital PA series. The new powered speakers have the ‘ultra efficient’ Digipro digital power amps on board. The power amps actually have two channels, one dedicated to the woofer and the other to the tweeter, for a more accurate response. There are a couple of varieties, the 400W 400 series and the 600W 600 series. The speakers also have onboard processing, switching power supplies and active limiting. » CMI: (03) 9315 2244 or www.cmi.com.au
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kit Sounds Peachy After having just completed renovations and updates in 2007, Paul Kelly Design and Avsound were called in again recently to do more work on the Peachtree Hotel in Sydney. Avsound installed four JBL Control 30 speakers into the lower courtyard, which has a great lounge feel, while the higher area was fitted out with JBL Control 25AV speakers. “The JBL Control Contractor range is really friendly and easy to install,” said Tim Teasdale, Avsound’s project manager for the installation. “And of course they sound good!” The Public Bar has four JBL AM4212/95 speakers suspended from the exposed trusses with more control 25AV and 25T speakers spread throughout the TAB and bottle shop. All the speakers are driven by Crown XTI amplifiers and controlled by a BSS Soundweb Green with a 9010 Jellyfish Remote controlling all the zones from the bar. » Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au
Adelaide Convenes On Yamaha Adelaide Convention Centre has invested in a Yamaha PM5D-EX system. Having adopted Yamaha digital mixing in 2005, with the M7CL console, the convention centre has since built up an arsenal of Yamaha gear. Technical Services Manager, Richard Builder said, “They’ve always been good workhorses and do the job very well for us. We’re in the communication industry, so first and foremost, we have to distribute speech clearly.” The PM5D-EX expanded digital mixing system has the PM5D-RH V2 mixing console with the DP5D rackmount digital mixing system and DCU5D cabling unit. It allows the convention centre to have the processing power of two consoles worth of inputs on just the one. » Yamaha Commercial Audio: (03) 9693 5111 or www.yamahamusic.com.au
NEC Narrow’s Gap NEC’s new 46-inch MultiSync X461UN display is intended for video wall solutions, where its ultra-narrow bezel allows for a screen-to-screen distance between two neighbouring MultiSync X461UN displays of only 7.3 millimetres. The MultiSync X461UN can be deployed in video wall matrices of up to 10x10. It sports a built-in expansion slot for current and future NEC accessories and third-party components, while its Network Control and Communication provides a high level of remote display management and includes such features as automatic email notification for diagnostic purposes. » NEC: 131 632 or www.nec.com.au
Soundcraft… But Perfectly Formed The Soundcraft Si1 is the third and smallest member to join Soundcraft’s Si series of digital live consoles. Although the Si series of consoles are digital desks, they are built to replace an analogue desk, leaving all that expensive analogue cabling in place. The Si1 has 32 mic inputs mapped to 16 faders and four stereo line channels, with 24 busses each with a dedicated 30-band BSS graphic EQ. There are also four on-board Lexicon stereo effects engines for some quality effect programming, reducing the need for external effects units. The entire console is only 1.2m wide, making it a good fit for many venues that need great sound without losing precious tables. » Jands: (02) 9582 0909 or info@jands.com.au
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enue Dec 09.pdf
11/12/09
4:22:06 PM
UNIQUE LIGHTING FEATURES
www.diemme.com.au ph. 61 2 9550 0811
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Right in the Middle Six Degrees is known for turning recycled materials into something unique, but when those ‘raw’ materials constitute English Oak and Queensland Maplewood panelling from the MCC’s Long Room, unique is just the start. Middle Park Hotel was established in 1889, as the world rushed to Victoria’s gold fields. Its early 19th century grandeur is preserved and mixed with 21st century contemporary urban style by Six Degrees and owner Julian Gerner of the Melbourne Pub Group, who wanted to capture the essence of a New York-style boutique hotel while keeping true blue to South Melbourne pub culture. On paper it looks a tough balance to get the combination of a sporting club and bar to marry convincingly with Manhattan chic. But Middle Park Hotel takes it all in its stride, right from walking under the Fifth Avenue-style canopy, or through the original MCC Member’s wrought iron gates at the Armstrong Street entrance, under the enormous deer fallow chandelier in the foyer, and across the MPH insignia carpet to one of the 45 beer taps at the 70m-long bar… phew! Far from being totally disparate inspirations, it seems that Gerner and Six Degrees have picked out the finer points of the Melbourne pub tradition and blended them with New York boutique touches to craft the Middle Park Hotel into something cosmopolitan yet classic that blokes want to hang out in. In the kitchen, Paul Wilson (ex-Botanical) is consulting chef, combining with fellow Brit, head chef David Marshall, to make his famous food more accessible. Tipped off by the antique luggage trunks in the foyer, up above the expansive gastro pub are 25 boutique hotel rooms with bay, lake and city views. Each room is a luxurious mix of Rennie Ellis photographs, high Victorian ceilings with ornate cornices, chiropedic beds, Waverly Merino wool blankets, complimentary Wi-Fi internet access, and white marble and European porcelain bathrooms with GHD straighteners for the ladies. Middle Park Hotel is definitely not middle of the road. Richard Hallam of YSI designed the audio system at Middle Park Hotel, which is split over four zones controlled by a Cloud zoner. Richard chose small Quest 2-way wall mounted speakers for the main bar to get speech clarity and coverage for the sports broadcasts. He then decided to stick with them throughout all zones because of their small size, nice aesthetic and quality sound. Australian Monitor and QSC amplifiers were utilised throughout the system that can route audio from any of the TVs around the main bar to anywhere in the hotel. » Middle Park Hotel: 102 Canterbury Rd, Middle Park, VIC (03) 9690 1958 or www.middleparkhotel.com.au » Six Degrees: (03) 9635 6000 or info@sixdegrees.com.au » Thonet: (02) 9332 1600 or www.thonet.com.au » YSI: richard@soundinvestment.com.au or 0419 577 572 » Group Technologies (Quest): (03) 9354 9133 or www.gtaust.com » TAG (QSC): (03) 9350 4002 or info@tag.com.au » Australian Monitor: (02) 9647 1411 or www.australianmonitor.com.au
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Cargo Gets Slice of Pie David Hales, owner of the Cargo Bar & Pizza in Hobart, reckons Hobart has been behind the eightball for too long, and has been busy upping the ante around town in the last couple of years, firstly with The Observatory and now Cargo. It seems others have been getting in on the act too, Hales said: “The number of licensed premises has probably doubled in the last couple of years. When I got into the game a couple of years ago the bar scene was missing… we were just so far behind.” Now, Salamanca Place, the hip part of town where Cargo resides, is pumping. But where Hales sees cargo fitting in is its wide appeal. He’s seen a lot of bar-cum-restaurants pop up around the place, but a lot are pitched high. “That’s the good thing about pizza,” Hales explains. “It appeals to everybody; young and old.” There’s a slice of everything at Cargo, it carries the usual favourites like Hawaiian and Margherita as well as some transcontinentallyconfusing mash-ups like hoi sin duck pizza, baby abalone pizza with croutons, or the Pinot-poached pear with honey cream and star anise pizza. “We’ve got simple pizzas and some extravagant options,” said Hales. “It’s very family oriented in the day, as well as drawing ‘the suits’, and starts to get a little crazier at night. We attract everyone.” Paul Kelly Design worked with Hales to drum up a design that fit all-comers. It’s a big ask, to say to a designer that the design can’t lean too far in any one direction yet retain an edginess. But it’s exactly what Paul Kelly has come up with. The result is a combination of a classic heritage-style interior with a raw, stripped back approach to even out the charm. Handmade convict bricks were sourced from a demolished turn of the century building to cover the walls, and the existing timber joists were acoustically lined to good effect. Plenty of raw steel and white paint makes for a modern turn, with antique mirrors mixed in for depth. Actually, getting Cargo off the ground was a struggle, as the now single tenancy was once upon a time split in two. The dividing spine wall is now a feature of the space, with white tiles laid in different directions to give it the look of a wall built 30 years ago. And now that Cargo pumps out 1200 pizzas a week, day in/day out, it doesn’t just look like a local favourite, it is. » Cargo Bar: 47-51 Salamanca Place, Battery Point TAS (03) 6223 7788 » Paul Kelly Design: (02) 9660 8299 or www.paulkellydesign.com.au » KWMC (AV): (03) 6230 8938 or www.kwmc.com.au » Cordwell Lane Building: (03) 6231 4222 » Thonet (High Stool): (02) 9332 1600 or www.thonet.com.au » Hughes Commercial Furniture: (02) 9737 9411 or www.hughescf.com.au » Yellow Goat Design (Pendant): (07) 5532 8659 or www.yellowgoat.com.au » Optic Fibre/LED Lighting (LED strips): (02) 9534 4404 or www.opticfibrelighting.com.au » Koskela Design (Hanging Globes): (02) 9280 0999 or www.koskela.com.au » Inlite Australia (Downlights): (02) 9211 3544 or www.inlite.com.au » Tascot Carpets: (02) 9906 7955 or www.tascot.com.au » Colortile: (02) 9699 1190 or www.colortile.com.au » Dulux: 132 525 or www.dulux.com.au » White Knight (Chalkboard Paint): 131 686 or www.whiteknightpaints.com.au » Eveneer (Timber Veneer): 1300 133 481 or www.eveneer.com.au » Warwick (Vinyl): (02) 9518 8688 or www.warwick.com.au » Kvadrat Maharam (Letters Fabric): (02) 9212 4277 or www.kvadratmaharam.com.au » NSW Leather: (02) 9319 2900 or www.leatherco.com » Photos: Sean Fennessy
p: 1300 727 637 | f: 02 9796 7800 | info@bseatedglobal.com | www.bseatedglobal.com.au
We Make Seating Simple
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Sussex Hotel The Sussex Hotel, formerly known as the Moreton’s Hotel, underwent a revamp and identity shift that mirrors the changing demographic and new business to the Sydney CBD area. To get an idea, neighbouring The Sussex is the Westpac building, across the road are American Express and KPMG, and just down a bit is the Macquarie Bank ‘Millionaire’s Factory’. In other words, it’s surrounded by big money, and The Sussex needed to be a place where those wealthy bankers could settle in for a long lunch — comfortable and refined. ResponseGroup Australia and lead designer, Kate Formosa, were asked to create a concept for all floors of the building, which included the ground-floor pub and beer garden, the first-floor function room, secondfloor bar, third-floor function rooms and the rooftop terrace. More than ‘one size fits all’, the idea was to use the historic building’s multiple levels to offer a variety of entertainment. The ground and second floors are the first to have been completed, with the rest to follow. Of course, being a historic landmark built in the mid 19 th century, existing heritage features and patrons had to be incorporated into the remake. The bold blue-backed bar with timber panelling is the dominant feature of the ground floor space, and when highlighted by the afternoon sun glows in a warm old-English charm with a stylish edge. Up above, the second floor is a classic palette of dark aubergine, white, gold and black to really bring out and compliment the heritage features, with bold red and purple saved for the restrooms. And to really bed down The Sussex in with the area, Response-Group Australia erected a gold leaf gate, with a matching feature light in the entryway, and a gold wall that slices through the space, painted by ID Colourfield with a paint that actually contains pigment of gold. And although it may have shed the Moreton name, The Sussex courtyard and lingering lunch crowd are still shaded by the familiar Moreton Bay tree. Photos: Katharine Formosa
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» The Sussex Hotel: 20 Sussex Street, Sydney NSW (02) 9262 6988 or www.thesussexhotel.com.au » Response-Group Australia: (02) 8217 4700 or www.response-group.com.au » Academy Tiles: (02) 9436 3566 or www.academytiles.com.au » RBA Group (Level 2 Bathrooms): 1300 788 778 or www.rba.com.au » Laminex: 132 136 or www.laminex.com.au » Euroluce (Level 2 Lighting): (02) 9380 6222 or www.euroluce.com.au » Yellow Goat (Level 2 Lighting): (07) 5532 8659 or www.yellowgoat.com.au » ECC (Level 2 Lighting): (02) 9380 7922 or www.ecc.com.au » JSB Lighting: (02) 9571 8800 or www.jsblighting.com.au » Koskela (Barstools): (02) 9280 0999 or www.koskela.com.au » Cubus Concepts (Ottomans): (03) 9529 1422 or www.cubusconcepts.com.au » Zuster (Table): (03) 9427 7188 or www.zuster.com.au » Mokum Textiles (Banquette Fabric): (02) 9357 0555 or nswsales@mokumtextiles.com » Austex (Stool Fabric): (03) 9484 9744 or www.austexindustrialfabrics.com.au » Elliott Clarke (Fabric): (02) 9380 9299 or www.elliottclarke.com.au » Kvadrat Maharam (Fabric): (02) 9212 4277 or australia@kvadratmaharam.com » Dulux: 132 525 or www.dulux.com.au
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Rockpool Bar & Grill Over the past few issues venue has been leaking information of Neil Perry’s dam-bustingly extravagant second Rockpool Bar & Grill in Sydney. There was the $9m giant-felling wine list accumulated by business partner David Doyle — with over 3800 different wines including the $89,510 bottle of 1945 Domaine de la Romanee-Conti — that’s worth more than the $6.5m Bates Smart fitout. Then there was the art deco building with cavernous ceiling heights in excess of 11m. So while Perry’s mantra for the finest produce still stands, it’s obvious from Bates Smart’s treatment of the heritage-listed 1936 Art Deco building that this Rockpool is all about the grandeur. Bates Smart director Simon Swaney put it like this, “If we liken the Melbourne restaurant to a good piece of steak, Sydney is more like a fine bottle of champagne.” But with full-blood Wagyu from David Blackmore, grass fed beef from Greenhams and Cape Grim, and grain feed stock from Ranger Valley, all aged on premise, you can have your gawk and eat meat too. The bar is a contemporary speakeasy, with 4000 Riedel glasses hung like a chandelier, plenty of high falutin’ champagne, and classic cocktails to match the old-world exclusivity of the building. In fact, mixologist Linden Pride has revisited the archives to study classic recipes and figure out where to put their own twist on drinks like the Sidecar, the Millionaire’s cocktail, even down to the Pina Colada. Rockpool is even brewing its own spiced ginger beer with fresh ginger, Manuka honey and spring water to give the classic Moscow Mule a real custom kick. »R ockpool Bar & Grill: 66 Hunter St, Sydney NSW (02) 8078 1900 or www.rockpool.com.au »B ates Smart: (02) 8354 5100 or www.batessmart.com.au » T he Flaming Beacon (Lighting): (03) 9606 025 or www.tfb.com.au » L en Wallis (Audio): (02) 9427 6755 or www.lenwallisaudio.com » T honet (Bar Chairs): (02) 9332 1600 or www.thonet.com.au »B rintons (Carpet): (03) 5226 3200 or www.brintons.com.au »B uildcorp Interiors (Construction & Finishing): (02) 9565 0000 or www.buildcorp.com.au »K arisma Joinery: (02) 9624 7733 or www.karisma.com.au »P hotos: Earl Carter
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visit
‘St’ Jerome Borzario takes venue on a tour through the back alleys of his mind. Text: Mark Davie Portrait: Corey Sleap
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J
erome wants me to meet him in his element… a St Kilda Football Club ‘Young Guns’ luncheon. The dress code is ‘business attire’, which set me on edge a little — a Collingwood supporter without a suit — I’m feeling akin to a lamb to the slaughter, in sheep’s clothing no less. The morning of, Jerome gives me a courtesy call. He’ll be “the guy wearing jeans and a red t-shirt”. Confused, I make mention of the ‘business attire’. To which he reassures me, “We conduct a different business don’t we”. “Yes!” I exhale, “yes we do.” I get off the phone and with my heightening unease put to rest, slip into jeans and a shirt, with a tie in the back pocket for insurance. In an instant ‘his element’ became mine too. Life of Jerome Jerome is Jerome Borzario, the owner of an eclectic collection of Melbourne bars and cafes that over time has included the likes of Fringe, Softbelly, The Wayside, Public Bar, Fantasia, Shittown, Sister Bella, Pushka and Birdbrain among others. His latest acquisitions are the Worker’s Club, which used to be the Rob Roy (an institution on the Melbourne live music scene), and 1000 £ Bend, a multifunction gallery, café and cinema. To some he may be best known as the namesake of the multi-city St Jerome’s Laneway Festival. But Melbournians will always remember St Jerome’s (St J’s for short). And, who could forget: it was around the corner from David Jones, down Caledonian Lane, on the loading dock, right by the dumpsters. That’s right, the one with the wire fence, milk crate ‘chairs’ and dozens of people grasping Coopers longnecks. It was the laneway bar that revolutionised disused spaces and turned laneways from subcultural anomalies into something that’s become synonymously Melbourne. Jerome wasn’t the first but he was the best: the heady mix of an off the beaten track loading dock for a venue, no expectations, a willingness to embrace anyone that would embrace it, and the fact it was a bloody big success, lends St Jerome’s a special place in Melbourne’s history. Of course, St Jerome’s is now deceased but that doesn’t stop Jerome constantly fielding questions about it — he’s even helping a student write her thesis on the impact of the Coles-Myer development that sealed its fate. And, why was Jerome so successful? He’s a true believer. He’s from the laneway culture. He’s like a cross between a doting father, and pseudo-saint of a rag-tag, backstreet family. Inviting poor souls, including some of the city’s best street artists and musicians, to jump on the bandwagon. Take Monkey, he just happened to be on the same tram as Jerome’s sister one day, offered to help out with the St J’s fitout and ended up designing
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a large chunk of Sister Bella. Now he’s the head chef at 1000 £ Bend. And some of the members from the band Temper Trap used to work for Jerome. Dougy the singer was apparently hopeless, but Jerome kept him on anyway, he had that personality you could bank on turning the average night into something special. Jerome’s sense of his employees’ worth seems to run deeper than a Friday night till receipt. His intuition uncovers the designer in a rag-tag city urchin, and an entertainer in a hopeless waiter. With plenty of talent taking shelter under his roof, his question is “why would I use anyone else?” “In our organisation I’ve always given the staff a lot of liberty to drive the projects. And while we spend a lot of time discussing things, our ideas will start out at one point and end up totally different. I don’t feel under pressure to try and out-do my last project. I just like to try and do what feels right. I’ve lived in the Melbourne CBD for 15 years, it’s a pretty competitive place and I guess I don’t really get involved in that competition… to make a better looking store, a bigger club or better restaurant. For me, as long as I’m comfortable producing what I’m doing, I’m happy about it.” The Man Behind the Name Back at the Worker’s Club, Jerome is stressing over a blown light globe. He’s never stressed about something so trivial at any of his other venues and it’s worrying. If a light globe went
out at St Jerome’s it could stay unreplaced, put it down to aesthetic, apathy, or an awareness that it was lighting milk crates on a concrete loading dock, fact of the matter is, perfection is inconsequential at Jerome’s other venues, so why the hair pulling? Maybe it’s because every one of his venues has that touch of ‘St’ Jerome,
I didn’t think on a Friday night that I had to put on a suit or some special outfit just to have a beer in a bar… You just want to go and have a beer — a really simple Australian thing to do. the patron saint, about it, and perhaps that’s what he can’t wrap his head around yet at the Worker’s Club — where he belongs. Step back a couple of decades, and he would actually belong across the road at The Champion Hotel, where he grew up. Jerome’s revitalisation of The Worker’s Club is a nostalgic
return to his roots, and part of a hopeful bid to bring back a slice of that old style hospitality to Melbourne. He proves his point when we stop in at his favourite pub on the way across town to 1000 £ Bend. It’s temperate late-Winter weather and Jerome is in thongs, everyone else is camped round tables in steel-capped boots. It’s lowest common denominator stuff, really just a traditional local pub, with books in the bookshelves, a few older gents manning the bar and it’s absolutely packed. The only thing strange about it is it’s in the middle of the CBD — where fitouts have a short shelf life — and not some country town. His point is that this is what matters — beer and a place to get together with mates — everything else is optional. The Saintly Figure On cab rides, Jerome slides into the front seat without hesitation and directions for the cabbie punctuate a wider discourse about the state of youth today and why we have so many issues with violence. St Jerome is a philosopher, he mulls over the lack of attention to outer suburbs and the train connections after dark, making connections between juvenile drinking and a downward spiral that, if the inclination is there, could end in petty theft or worse. He’s frightened by that environment; a product he considers of day-to-day monotony in a suburban bubble. He’s not a stranger to it all, he talks out of the experience of a boy that grew
Photo: Richard Kendall
St Jerome’s The namesake, the original. The product of a simple idea, and the haven of thousands. This was the laneway bar that gave rise to plenty of others, and spurned a festival just outside its door. R.I.P.
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The Worker’s Club (L & R)
up in the Western suburbs. He wonders how many people will show up at his funeral, and whether speculating about it is too morbid. He passionately proposes ideas as if convincing me is as important as convincing a government official. Things like a dedicated aboriginal AFL team that would serve as a dream foundry for a people whose culture is built on dreams, rather than naming a park after them. And he abhors drink driving as a completely unnecessary endangerment of someone else, proclaiming that “human beings can be so intelligent, why do stupid things like that?”
“I thank my lucky stars we’ve never had a violent incident in any of my venues. I put that down to good management, good RSA, and a loyal clientele that we’re able to manage in the event that they get a little drunk, and say, ‘Hang on, you’ve had too much, come back tomorrow’. That’s our policy; we’re pretty vigilant on it because the last thing you ever want is violence. And it’s not just the reputation of the place, but imagine if somebody got seriously hurt. It took me a long, long, long time to learn to go to sleep because I’d be waiting up for that phone call that this or that had gone on.”
He hates being told what to do by government bureaucrats who live well out from the CBD. But being at loggerheads with regulatory bodies who don’t have a vested interest in the city seems just part of his everyday life. “Shutting bars at one o’clock, it’s not necessarily the answer. We need to educate, and you’re not educating by hitting someone with a fine. We’re the ones experiencing the change on the ground. Had they bothered to consult people like me or other people that are at the coalface everyday, they could probably get some really relevant reallife information as opposed to implementing a lockout here or a lockout there. They should consult more, not have an ‘us versus them’ situation. It’s difficult, because the city changes so quickly, but we have an international reputation we need to uphold.
This mile-a-minute treatise is just who Jerome is. He’s an action figure, a fast mover. One of his latest passion projects is St Jerome’s wine, and is in talks with a brewer about putting out St Jerome’s beer. He’s not adverse to partnerships, but when he has an idea, he wants to act on it quickly and understands how potentially damaging that can be to a working relationship. He’s a big believer in projects unfolding organically, with a mindset that’s tuned more towards ‘what’s the worst that could happen?’ than walking around town thinking he’s some Joe Cool for designing a bar of distinction. Laneway Festival — The Festive Spirit Jerome learnt the power of live music from an early age, though not from his parents — his dad was a blues man, and his mum was a concert pianist at the age of 13 — but from a deaf guy
and an Italian who couldn’t speak a word of English. “I was at a festival and one of the people that turned up to this group was a deaf guy, and being a young kid I was thinking, “What the hell is a deaf guy going to do at a music festival?” But the thing is, he could feel the vibration of the music. He was so excited over the music it was incredible — the music took him wherever he wished to go. Another time, a friend of mine, an Italian girl, met a guy in Italy and brought him over to meet me, but he didn’t speak any English. It was quite embarrassing, I have half an Italian heritage, but I only understand the swear words of course. He wanted to go to Phillip Island. What I remember most about the trip is, we could not communicate with one word, but when we put the music on he could connect automatically.” It’s these lessons that Jerome took into his music festival partnership with long-term friend Danny Rogers, who had taken to the music business while Jerome went to the pubs. St Jerome’s Laneway Festival is now one of the widest running festivals in Australia, taking in Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, and now Auckland. Last year, at the Melbourne leg of the Laneway tour, it seems people were not moved enough. A couple of hiccups in crowd capacities, and outrageously, some crazy death threats, had the pair rethinking the festival, eventually relocating the Melbourne leg to just outside of the CBD.
The Worker’s Club Hauling over the old Rob Roy site, Jerome has teamed up with a couple of local partners to turn his old rival into a diverse space with a public bar, quality kitchen, band room, side bar, an outdoor courtyard, and office spaces upstairs collectively titled Happy Palace. As a first for Jerome, Liquid Lines came in and helped finish the job, lending their considerable expertise to the renovation. Another first for Jerome was spending some serious money, almost a million dollars on the fitout. » Cnr Brunswick & Gertrude Streets, Fitzroy VIC (03) 9415 8889 or www.theworkersclub.com.au » Liquid Lines: 1300 547 843 or www.liquidlines.com.au
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But with the festival bearing his name, it’s only adjusted Jerome’s resolve to make it bigger and better. “It’s been a bit of a whirlwind, especially with Laneway expanding the way it has. While we acknowledge there were a couple of hiccups last year, more through corporate and regulatory bodies than our own doing, it’s expanded to Auckland. We rang back every one of the 120 official complaints, really considered what they had to say, re-worked the Melbourne situation over and over again, and we believe we’ve got it right. What I found interesting was nobody referred to the other 19 festivals that have run smoothly — the same year we were canned in Melbourne, we were heralded as the best festival in Perth ever, in our first year there! Some of the death threats and the rest of it were just out of control. Did anyone forget that people have died at other festivals? Just because you didn’t get to see Girl Talk… I mean get over it.” Jerome Hearts Melbourne Notwithstanding the odd death threat, Jerome remains intensely patriotic about Melbourne. He’s philosophical about Lord Mayor Robert Doyle spending almost $150,000 with a highly credentialed Sydney-based firm to develop Melbourne’s logo — although he reckons there’s
a ton of Melbourne artists who could have done it better and more economically. “I love Melbourne. There’s such a good community in the CBD: artistic, lively, and has a lot of integrity, especially on the food side of things. I’ve travelled overseas a fair bit, but I’m not really attracted to moving or living in another place. It’s always great to go and have a holiday in another place, and I normally like to take the good bits out of it and apply it to here.” Jerome has taken the travelling laneway festival around the country, but despite having owned a number of Melbourne venues he hasn’t been lured by any prospects out of state. Though not stoically so, he remains bound to his hometown. “We’ve been approached by people in Sydney, and while they reckon they’ve relaxed the licensing laws, if you do the research, they haven’t really allocated that many small bar licenses yet. We would need to have something that was already open that we could renovate, which is not what we usually do. We prefer to find unique disused spaces that we can then breathe life into. That’s the challenge that really works for us. “The St. Jerome’s style venue could be well received in Sydney. Putting it in one of the flourishing suburb areas wouldn’t be of any
benefit to Sydney, but having it in one of the back laneways in the CBD could be of interest. “Personally, I really find the two polar opposites. I’ve spent a lot of time in Sydney, and it’s so picturesque and beautiful. But I love the prettiness of Melbourne, the super-strong art scene, the talent of live music and everything that is generated in the urban CBD. And that’s the difference for me between the two.” Jerome and his merry gang may not have started up in Sydney yet, but word of their laneway expertise has stirred up the Perth council to see what it would take to wake up their sleepy back streets. “We’ve spent the last year working with the East Perth Regional Authority on a development over there. We gave them the whole spectrum of different ways we could activate their laneways. Putting one bar in one laneway won’t necessarily revive Perth’s CBD, but activating 15 lanes with not only bars, but record stores, music stores, designer shops and hairdressing salons. The plan was to activate all their laneways at once but still organically with local people, builders, young people — that was really important.” The Secret to Success There are only three rules Jerome makes blatantly clear to his staff: one — No warm
1000 £ Bend 1000 £ Bend is a café, art gallery and upstairs Speakeasy cinema, all rolled into the old Harley Davidson Assembly Factory in the heart of the CBD. Some vintage treasures from St Jerome’s were recycled again to make it feel like home. The name is lifted from one of Jerome’s favourite spots, one of the last bends on the descent from Mt Hotham, and one of the most gorgeous views to enjoy with that last gasp of alpine air. » 361 Little Lonsdale Street, Melbourne, VIC www.thousandpoundbend.com.au
1000 £ Bend
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beers. Ever. Two — Never be late, you only let the people you’re working with down. And three — The customer isn’t always right, after all, you’ve served them a few beers and they’re probably a touch emotional. And if staff are struggling, he wants to know, “Just tell me,” he says, “I can’t guess or pretend to understand 100,000 different emotions every week. It’s all about how they feel. What happened to hospitality? People forget that when the lights go down, that staff are your communication.” And despite the customer not always being right, Jerome does think they should be respected: “I get freaked out sometimes when I go to places where waitresses and waiters have a heap of attitude. I don’t expect special treatment. But here’s a simple idea: I don’t feel like cooking at home, you cook here, I’m coming to your place, and I just want to get some food.” Many people have kicked themselves for not coming up with the loading dock idea first. But it seems so simple, it must be genius. Then again, Jerome’s reasoning for starting St Jerome’s and his ethos that dictated the way it ended up was surprisingly oblique. “Well being a resident I didn’t think on a Friday night that I had to put on a suit or some special outfit just to have a beer in a bar. So while I live in an apartment, I
needed a backyard or a place where I could hang out and have a good time. After all, you’re already under enough pressure in your job, work environment, from your girlfriend or boyfriend, or whatever happens in your normal world. Why do you want to come to a bar and be put under more? You just want to go and have a beer — a really simple Australian thing to do.”
You couldn’t criticise St J’s, we didn’t promise you anything. The whole ‘anytime, chilled out, backyard party’ idea struck a chord — the books showed a Tuesday at St Jerome’s was about as profitable as a Friday. But when I probe a little further into his narrow assessment, Jerome yields a wider, more workaday target. “And I mean, you work in an environment like a David Jones or somewhere, any of those towers — it’s nice to be able to get out during the day. The thing is, if you drink coffee or you don’t make your lunch at home, you’re
basically forced to buy city product and that becomes very expensive. What I like to be able to do is provide a great product at a reasonable price. So if you drink coffee, I don’t think it’s reasonable to pay $4 for coffee every single day, so I like to do $2 or $2.50 coffees. It makes it accessible and it’s not a stress to do it. It’s about the balance.” In fact, the suits did frequent St Jerome’s, at least in the beginning. And that was part of the wonder of it, that worlds combined more than collided and everyone could have a little giggle at the irony of a businessmen dressed in Armani paying to drink beer in a gutter. Only in Melbourne. Summing up, Jerome puts it simply, “You couldn’t criticise St J’s, we didn’t promise you anything.” And indeed, they didn’t. They didn’t even promise us something that would stick around. Five years after its inception Myer decided it wanted its dock back, and forced the newly homeless to shift lanes. But there’s a taste of St Jerome if you can find Sister Bella behind the dumpsters, or if you can squeeze into Pushka for a coffee, or catch an arthouse flick or gallery instalment at 100 £ Bend, and surely soon enough, you’ll even get that saintly vibe at The Worker’s Club.
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Pushka Pushka is one of the tiniest café/bars in the CBD. And just to show it’s utilising its urban footprint to the fullest, it also incorporates the TwentyByThirty Gallery, a 20cm by 30cm alcove in the front wall of the café that hosts local artist’s works, usually one work at a time. » 20 Pesgrave Place, Melbourne VIC
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Speakeasy Cinema
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Sergeant’s
Mess Sydney’s high-tea king takes aim at harbourside functions market. Text: Mark Davie
it’s unique and only 7km from the CBD. That’s what sets Sergeants’ Mess apart.
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M
anuel Spinola, the man behind Sydney’s Tea Rooms knows a thing or two about how to impress a lady. He holds tea parties for scores of women every day at his place, serving up scones and cream with single estate pots of Darjeeling and aromatic Earl Grey. He’s so well versed in the language of feminine finery, he can even soften the masculine edge of a demob’ed army barracks to accommodate the whims of the most pernickety bride. He first showed this knack when adapting the Gunners’ Barracks layout into a second Tea Room. And has demonstrated it again in converting a bushland military outpost at Chowder Bay into the charmingly extravagant Sergeant’s Mess events space. Tea Total Sergeant’s Mess is the third string in the bow of a line of hugely successful events spaces. The Tea Rooms are a dream for ladies planning their big days, ticking all the boxes of style, elegance, and character. The kinds of places that instantly realise ‘dear diary’-type fantasies, the perfect setting to roll up to in a horse-drawn pumpkin on the hand of a shining prince. Sergeant’s Mess has that air of fantasy about, and still considers blushing brides its core focus. But Spinola has moved his operations base out to Chowder Bay and incorporated a corporate events focus into the space, putting meetings firmly on the agenda. Manuel Spinola: We had the opportunity to design a purpose-built event space and we wanted to make the entrance elaborate and grand. When clients walk in they get a gun barrel view of the harbour, then they’re greeted by our wait staff, offered drinks and ushered into the bar area. The bar area is quite a substantial, glamorous predinner drinks area off the main dining room, and opens out to huge decks to either side. It’s a great way to start the evening.
Downstairs we have our bridal suite with a private entrance, so we’re able to greet our bridal party without them being seen by their guests. We haven’t had that at our other venues and it’s a really nice touch. Our main dining space is a large rectangle without columns and has another substantial deck off that turning it into a great indoor/ outdoor space. We’ve also created a world-class event space that has all the audiovisual equipment to facilitate fantastic corporate events with recessed projectors and screens, all automated at a touch of a button. venue: What else does Sergeant’s Mess offer to take it above and beyond the typical function venue? MS: We focused on making sure the space was luxurious. Typical function venues tend to be very functional and spare the expense on the finishes, we’ve taken the opposite direction. We’ve gone high on premium finishes, luxury and attention to detail. Terrazzo floors, beautiful oak panelling, bevelled mirror and marble bar, and quality Queensland Spotted Gum decks. Beautiful finishes that you only need to see and you feel that, we really haven’t spared any expense. Then we’ve also got a premium boardroom downstairs, suitable for twenty guests, with recessed projector and screen, ability to teleconference, and its own deck with views out to the harbour. It’s also the location, we’re sandwiched between the Sydney Harbour on our doorstep and the National Park behind us, it’s unique and only 7km from the CBD. That’s what sets Sergeants’ Mess apart. venue: Some parts look like they could have been pinched from right under the Mad Hatter’s nose. Are you striving for memorability as well as luxury in the design?
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MS: At the bottom of the stairs you get dropped off into this really fun, over-the-top lounge. It’s particularly useful for girls going to bathrooms in bunches [always thinking of the ladies — Ed], they can sit down and wait for their girlfriend in oversized red wingback chairs. And we also thought that area would be used as a great backdrop for wedding photos, and that’s exactly what’s happening. venue: It doesn’t at all sound like an army barracks any more, has the building fit in well with your ideas? MS: The building itself was built in 1963, and it was a very masculine, blonde-brick building that had been designed by army architects, and consequently had very small openings. I wanted to still pay homage to the architecture of the ’60s, but open it up. So we opened up the face of the building to the harbour and we put in glazed, bi-fold systems, and really gave it a sense of glamour and design. Gunning For It venue: This is your second military property, how do you keep scoring these gorgeous army digs? MS: Well, Gunners’ Barracks was just advertised in Good Living, going back to 2003-2004 as open for tender. I tendered, went through an exhaustive process and ended up winning the tender. Then through my relationship there I was given the opportunity to tender for the building down here. We were very, very successful at Gunners’ Barracks, but it’s a much smaller venue suitable for weddings of 70– 100 people and at least 50 percent of the enquiries for weddings were for 100-plus. I spoke to the people in the property department at the Harbour Trust and said, “If you’ve got a larger building I’m definitely interested,” and they showed me this one. venue: Are there many more around? MS: No, unfortunately at Chowder Bay there aren’t any more around. They’ve got some great sites — there’s Cockatoo Island and Manly North Head — I’ve had a look at them and Cockatoo Island has got the problem of transport and at North Head, even though it’s a lovely
area and quite serene, there really isn’t a building that has spectacular views over the harbour. This was the last opportunity. Mess Cleans Up venue: Spinola isn’t the sort of name that immediately evokes images of highly-mannered high teas. What is your history, and does it involve the English countryside? MS: No, my wife is Welsh, so that’s where the tearoom idea came from. My heritage is Portuguese so I travel to Europe quite often. When we’re in Europe we like to go to London and have afternoon tea at The Ritz, Claridges and Browns, and tea at Raffles in Singapore. When I took over the Queen Victoria Ballroom the initial idea was to purely run events. But the Chairman at QVB approached me and said, “If you do something with the venue during the day, I’d be happy to contribute some money towards the fitout.” So I went home and spoke to my wife about it and she said, “Well Sydney doesn’t have a tearoom. Every other substantial city has a tearoom, but Sydney doesn’t.” I thought that was a great idea, and in 1999 that’s how the tearoom was born. It’s an institution these days. We average about 1500 people a week there. venue: There’s been a real trend towards single origin and estate coffee, is there a similar movement with tea?
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MS: We like to buy single estate tea — you’re not getting it from different farms so you’ve got some provenance there. Premium teas are from single estate farms. We were initially buying from a company called Tea Corporation in Melbourne, who did all of that for us. But only a few months back we’ve moved to Ronnefeldt Teas, a German-based company that does a fair bit of work with the hotel business —they’ve got great quality teas. Ronnefeldt has great customer service. They provide the infrastructure to train you and teach particular staff members. All that suits us because we want to train our managers to become tea masters. We want to introduce teas that Australians haven’t tasted. venue: Are you using any of that expertise at Sergeants’ Mess? MS: Not really. Sergeants’ Mess is purely a standalone events venue, it’s not part of the Tea Room brand. Currently, the Tea Room brand is The Tea Room Queen Victoria Building, The Tea Room Gunners’ Barracks, and the third arm will be The Tea Room Dunbar House in the eastern suburbs. venue: Dunbar House is a recent addition? MS: Yes, we won the tender for it in June of this year and took over July 1. We’re currently running weddings out of there with plans to do a major restoration come next year. It’s going to be fantastic. It’s a lovely spot at Watsons’ Bay with a smaller size similar to Gunners’ Barracks.
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» Sergeant’s Mess: Chowder Bay Road, Chowder Bay NSW (02) 9283 7279 or www.sergeantsmess.com.au » S pangenberg + Park (Interior Architects): (02) 9698 4938 or www.spangenbergpark.com.au » Lacoste + Stevenson (Exterior Architects): (02) 9360 8633 or www.lacoste-stevenson.com.au » Rutledge Engineering (AV): (02) 8596 5800 or www.rutledge.com.au » Lightmoves (Lighting): (03) 9701 2500 or www.lightmoves.com.au » Karisma (Joinery): (02) 9624 7733 or www.karisma.com.au » DJW Projects (Dynalite): (02) 9114 9993 or www.djwprojects.com.au » Point of View (AV Consultant): (02) 9818 6355 or www.pov.com.au » Panasonic: 132 600 or www.panasonic.com.au » Syntec (Tannoy Speakers): 1800 648 628 or www.syntec.com.au » Australian Monitor: (02) 9647 1411 or www.australianmonitor.com.au » Meyer (Speakers): 1800 463 937 or www.meyersound.com.au » Crestron (Control): (02) 9737 8203 or www.crestron.com.au » Audio Products Group (Biamp): www.audioproductsgroup.com.au
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The Mill Bergstrom Architects put its nose to the millstone to turn The Mill Hotel into a signature venue for JDA Hotels in Milperra — deep in Sydney’s ‘Aspirational Belt’. The (new) Mill represents a major reinvention of the wheel, with a complete refurbishment that included a new kitchen, loading dock, cool rooms, bistro, lounge, TAB/main bar, three separate amenities for each area and a refurbishment of the bottleshop. Extensive new courtyards surround seven areas of the building, and include an entertainment area, BBQ area, and a separate function room with its own bar and courtyard. The motel side of the business has also been expanded and upgraded to include 21 rooms of accommodation. The works continued further afield with a new-look carpark, landscaping and complete branding with extensive signage throughout. Bergstrom Architects invested considerable care in judging the flow of the venue, planning efficiency, such as being able to run the three significantly-sized main areas from a single bar, only utilising the additional bars for peak periods. At the entrance, the double-height space and water features provide a dramatic welcome. The main bar features red ironbark hardwood to warm up the space, with a double-sided fireplace for proper warmth in winter. A separate raised timber deck provides and promotes separate group functions in the outdoor area. The lounge area also opens out onto the courtyard via bifold windows. Throughout the fitout, plenty of rustic character has been teased out with liberal lashings of recycled brickwork, natural stone cladding, timber and fireplaces. The natural character is a great basis for feature pendants and bold patterns to lift the design.
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The families and kids have been well and truly covered in the design of the bistro and kids’ play areas, while the young at heart can party all night in front of the giant outdoor screen and stage. All up, The Mill has been transformed into a go-to destination family venue that sits well in the Milperra landscape — a bullseye for JDA and Bergstrom.
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» The Mill Hotel: 189 Beaconsfield St, Milperra NSW (02) 9771 2722 or www.millhotel.com.au
» JDA Hotels: www.jdahotels.com.au » Bergstrom Architects: (02) 8920 1499 or www.bergstromarchitects.com.au
» AVsound (AV Installer): 1300 663 166 or www.avsound.com.au
» Café Culture (Bistro Furniture): (02) 9699 8577 or www.cafeculture.com.au
» Hughes Commercial Furniture: 1800 242 479 or www.hughescf.com.au
» Brintons Carpets: (03) 5226 3200 or www.brintons.net.au
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1. The Entry makes a bold statement with a double-space water feature topped by a red Glow Square pendant (from Lighting Partners Australia). 2: The Lounge bridges the divide between the dry bars and the courtyard. There are plenty of seating options (red Klik lounges from Hughes Commercial Furniture, and blue Patty lounge chairs from Stylecraft). Large pleated King Shade pendants (from Mance) provide the necessary big flourish, while stacked stone and a two-way fireplace divide the lounge from the bistro. Carpet from Brintons and wallpaper from from Marburg. 3. The bistro combines European Oak communal tables (the Akida Timber bench attended by Prag Chairs, all from CafĂŠ Culture) with more standard cafĂŠ seating options. The pendant lights are a custom stainless model from Gamma Illumination, the Schmitz Slim wall lights from Eagle Lighting, while the cedar ceiling panels are backed with acoustic foam to dampen down the clatter. The carpet is from Brintons.
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Gas Heaters Parasol Ozglow HE40 Parasol Heaters parasolheaters.com.au
JBL PA Jands jands.com.au
Lasercut Screens ‘Sanctum’ Garden Life gardenlife.com.au
Large Screen ‘MDPD’ 3x3 TV TCP totalconceptprojects. com
Rosewood Drybar Hughes Commercial Furniture hughescf.com.au
Dane Stool Cubus Concepts cubusconcepts. com.au
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Fresh Mill The Mill has a massive outdoor area with its own bar a mega-screen (9 x 42-inch screens), a stage with a chunky PA (installed by Avsound), a double-sided fireplace, a fully-fledged bar and, yes, it’s totally ‘compliant’ — 25 percent open air and 10 percent permanently open. In other words this is a rip-roaring, smokers’ paradise! I asked coowner John Feros whether the alfresco area’s size, comfort, style and popularity meant complaints from non-smokers. John Feros: No. We haven’t had any complaints. And if your space is compliant you probably shouldn’t — there’s enough fresh air to go round. If there is a problem it’s down to its popularity. It’s like a decent sized venue in its own right, with the noise and hubbub you’d expect from hundreds of people enjoying themselves. So you have to be careful to keep your neighbours and council happy. You spent $10m on construction alone. Money well spent? John Feros: Absolutely. It’s a big pub and so the construction bills were big — lots of stone, lots of carpet, lots of everything — and the level of detail that Bergstrom Architects designed in was considerable. But Bergstrom were unreal. I think the results speak for themselves, but we also like the fact a Bergstrom-designed pub looks like pub and not some too-trendy inner-city bar. They know how pubs function and were great to deal
Roof Cladding Acoustic perforated Exterior ply, custom stained to match Red Ironbark
with when it came to working out the position and purpose of the various key areas.
Back of Bar Tile Venezia Earp Bros earp.com.au
Barfront & Top Caesarstone ‘Linen’ caesarstone.com.au
Floor Tiles SPCT 900 Sapphire/ 904 Black Stone Box stonebox.com.au
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B
efore tucking into that Waldorf Salad or Crepe Suzette, we should probably lay down our forks for a minute and raise a glass to the great hotels that were once the toast of the food pages. We salute your dedication to fine dining; you invented some truly classic dishes, and we don’t even mind that you had the chutzpah to name them after yourself — you serve it, you deserve it. But alas, those eager little beavers you so readily apprenticed in the bowels of your gastronomic bastions flew the coop — and pinched all your customers! Fine dining had taken to the streets. But as we searched for the next table clothed in white linen, we gazed longingly up at your ivory tower awaiting a triumphant return.
Sofitel Up At
No 35
Big hotels are re-fine-ing dining and luring chefs back to where they started — at the pointy end of town.
Hold the eulogy, five-star fine dining is back on the menu, and the Sofitel in Melbourne is taking numbers. No 35 is the restaurant the hotel hopes will fill the shoes of its previous fine dining offering, Le Restaurant. After the demise of Le Restaurant in 2005, it was fair to say that Sofitel got a little spooked, changing tack with Café La’s lighter weight modern a la carte menu of Australian cuisine. It didn’t really suit the five star French luxury Sofitel was purporting though, and it too went under in early 2009, paving the way for No 35.
Text: Mark Davie
The Apprentice Patrons aside, it’s hard to imagine celebrity chefs George Calombaris, Gary Mehigan or Shannon Bennett taking orders from anyone nowadays. But they had to start somewhere, and Clive Scott, General Manager of Sofitel Melbourne, would have you believe that the ‘somewhere’ in question was as apprentices in his hotel’s kitchens. Of the three, Calombaris was officially the only one to rise from the bottom of the Sofitel ladder (and rise he did, named Bonland National Apprentice of the Year in 1999). Mehigan worked at the Sofitel, but had already paid his dues in London and was apparently something of a mentor to Calombaris. Bennett didn’t work at the Sofitel at all, but did start out as a kitchen hand at the Grand Hyatt around the corner. What is interesting though is that years later as the Sofitel closed the doors of its high-end Le Restaurant, Bennett was busy moving Vue de Monde away from its home in Carlton to the Little Collins Street site — a giant folds while the apprentice prospers. But with the new No 35 comes the return of Le Restaurant’s previous head chef, Stuart McVeigh, right as his employer, the fine dining restaurant Botanical, was struggling through an acquisition. It signals a return to roots and a shifting balance of power back to the big-name hoteliers. So when asked if it’s hard to lure top-name chefs back, Scott gives his quick history lesson to serve up a reminder of where a lot of them began. But proud history aside, Scott still thinks the Sofitel has got what it takes to cut it in fine dining, and with the 35th floor setting incorporating sweeping panoramic vistas of Melbourne, it’s not a bad start.
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Clive Scott: Chef, restaurant manager, pastry chef, you need to get them to be proud of the venue, and you need to get them to want to produce what they produce in that venue. If I’m the Brunswick Street Theatre that has 100
seats and I ask Cate Blanchett to come and work in our theatre, her manager will say ‘no’. But if I’m the MTC she’d probably consider it given the right pitch or inducements. Now am I a venue where high profile chefs will consider it or not? I’d like to think we’re the ‘MTC’ rather than the small-time operator. So I think that it’s not necessarily about enticing them, it’s exciting them, saying, “this is what we’re creating. Your food, your service will go with that.” Hotel dining in Australia used to be big and everybody went to dining rooms in hotels. Then the high street restaurants stole all our chefs and service staff and that became the industry. What we’re doing is creating an independent restaurant inside the hotel, and we’re going back to compete with them on the street. And I can tell you right at the moment there are several hotels doing it.
Then the high street restaurants stole all our chefs and service staff and that became the industry...we’re going back to compete with them on the street.
venue: Did the hotel industry get caught napping or, was it a matter of being unable to compete? CS: Well there were restaurants in Australia that were very good. But when international hotels came, they brought international restaurant dining with them. So if you went back 20 years ago, Melbourne’s hotel dining rooms were full. Then restaurants outside came of age and Melbourne became a dining capital of the world. People opened restaurants everywhere, and very high quality ones. They were competing against the hotels, and after a while the hotels said, “let them do it, we’ll do our business inside the hotel.” But the trend is going back the other way where we’ve realise, “well no, that’s our business. We can do that and, just by the way, I’ve got this beautiful location, why am I not doing it?” And in reality, we can do it in greater numbers than they can. venue: So No 35 is your answer? CS: We have one of the highest restaurants in Australia — on the 35th floor overlooking Melbourne. And it’s quite a unique destination in that you look bayside all the way to the mountainside, and then have a panoramic view of the city as well. The idea was to reposition our restaurant, previously Café La, in the Melbourne marketplace as a new venue and as a venue that people would come back to primarily because of the great view, and then back it up with some extremely good food and service. In doing that we knew we had to change the look of the space for people to understand there’d been a change. We couldn’t just say we’re going to have a new menu and new wine list and really deliver the same thing. I had to actually change the whole nature of what I was doing. So we went to the designers Mills Gorman who also did Maha [another Calombaris link; big business, small world — Ed]. Back To The Future Calombaris may not have been lured back to the hotel fold, but architect Peter Mills of Mills Gorman was more than happy to return to his roots. A young Mills worked on the Collins Place building under the direction of worldrenowned architect I.M. Pei when it was first
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built. Skip forward a few decades and Mills was back looking out over the city from the Sofitel’s 35th floor.
Arts — that’s just a few of the festivals that we’re involved in. CS: And galleries, Chunky Move Dance Company, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, National Gallery...
CS: He has an affinity with the building and loved going back to where he started. But in many ways it was Craig Gorman, the other half of Mills Gorman, who was really the main designer involved.
AD: Bell Shakespeare Company, Centre for Contemporary Photography and Malthouse... CS: We also have three spaces in the hotel where we have shows running. Mainly on the 35th floor we do photography or prints, in the lobby we’ll do major shows — for instance, we’ve just featured a large indigenous show from a private collection. So in line with that we knew we needed to have art in the restaurant. Also, the fantastic view is a given, but 25–30 percent of the seats look inwards. So they need entertainment; that eye-catching feature that keeps them stimulated throughout the night and evening.
We already knew we had the beautiful view, and we needed to enhance that to ensure people could see it as much as possible, but we also needed to enhance what was going on inside as well. I don’t think we can ever forget why people come to the restaurant. Primarily, people think they come to eat, but they come to a restaurant for entertaining, to be entertained, and to feel good about who they’re with. So there’s this whole complexity about wanting to be in a space where I feel entertained, looked after, special, and it enhances my overall feeling about myself — it’s not just about eating.
venue: Seeing as street restaurants ‘pinched’ your staff and trade, do you keep up with outside trends? Are you on the lookout for new ideas?
I think the venue in itself — the materials you use, the feel of the room, the sound, the colour, and the elements of art going on — is all part of the food and wine experience. It’s the experience that people are interested in and everything down to the uniforms and the cutlery and crockery is designed. And the chefs are part of the process. It’s akin to the production of a play — one that they’re delivering every night — so how they feel about the play, the stage and the set are very important.
CS: Yes. We also have the influence of our worldwide corporate chef, Sandro Gamba, a French Michelin star chef who was based in the United States and now Paris. He came in three times during the process and went through what’s happening overseas and what people are eating. He tasted the food and gave his input on whether it’s of an international standing and if it will last into the future. We also had to educate him as to what Melbourne was doing to help him understand that Melbourne is in many ways ahead of the curve. We took him to several places to see what was going on around town.
We wanted to add a lot of colour and new elements into the room; we wanted to be able to change the lighting between breakfast, lunch and dinner, and bring out highlights. We also introduced a fair amount of artwork to fall in line with our sub-branding, which is ‘Hotel for the Arts in Melbourne’, and we felt it would bring colour, life and action into the restaurant.
In terms of the design, using Mills Gorman, we were engaging designers that had been designing restaurants in town so you were getting people who were setting the trend already.
venue: Is the branding of Sofitel Melbourne as ‘Hotel for the Arts in Melbourne’ purely five-star glamour or savvy business?
Hotel In A Box venue: The design of the building itself is somewhat of a conundrum: you’ve got a 15-storey atrium with a café/bar that’s open to the public, yet it’s about 30 stories above the lobby. How do you get around that insular layout typical of big hotels and get people to come in from the streets?
Annie Dawson, PR Manager for Sofitel Melbourne steps in: We’ve had that sub-branding almost since Sofitel took over the property 13 years ago. Sofitel wasn’t a brand people in Melbourne knew too well, and supporting the arts helped stamp our identity on the market — we needed a point of difference to compete with the other 5-star brands and it’s worked extremely well for us.
CS: We believe that a hotel can be a bit of a box, and unless you do things to get people to come inside the box, they won’t come in. Most of our venues are really open, just walk in off the street and you’ll enjoy it, that’s the idea. A lot of hotels are conditioned around purely looking after their own in-house guests. Whereas we’ve got outside guests and inside guests and we look after both. If you want to be part of the community, then you’ll
We sponsor almost every arts organisation — not only in Melbourne, we do national companies as well. We support the major festivals: the Fashion Festival, the Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Writers Festival, Melbourne International Festival for
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With a lot of other hotels, it’s like they don’t want you to go in. We’re definitely not that. Why would we have those toilets there that are in Lonely Planet magazine!
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need to go out into the community as well as get the community to come inside your hotel. venue: Is the idea to make outside guests inside guests or can you just facilitate outside guests and make money from them as well? CS: Most certainly I think we can do both. Again you can go back to why we do the arts. You could say we’re lovely corporate citizens and responsible to art. But if you look at the boards of the arts organisations, they’re all corporate companies who are our customers. And then if you go look at the arts side of the business, there are very trendy people that would love to sit in our restaurants. And then you go and look at all the customers that go attend all those events; they’re all our conference and catering customers or our restaurant customers. So we’re just associating our name — that’s us going out into the community. Now here I have this big box with all these floors on it and rooms, restaurants and bars, but it’ll be a dead building if it doesn’t have anybody in it. I want people to come in and enjoy it, otherwise it won’t be alive. With a lot of other hotels, it’s like they don’t want you to go in. We’re definitely not that. Why would we have those toilets there that are in Lonely Planet magazine! If I was one of those hotels that didn’t want people to come in, I’d make it so the public couldn’t go there, or I would charge for it.
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» No 35 inside Sofitel Melbourne: 25 Collins Street, Melbourne, VIC (03) 9653 7744 or www.no35.com.au » Mills Gorman: (03) 9650 1607 or www.millsgorman.com.au
Art Full Hotel Scott and co literally kept to the ‘Hotel for the Arts in Melbourne’ MO at No 35, commissioning and purchasing a number of works from local Melbourne artists. The project’s art consultants were Global Art Projects, and the result is a diverse collection of work from six different artist. Clive Scott: “We’re in a great location at the top end of Collins Street. It’s a prestigious location and the views have a lot to do with people coming here. One of the underlying themes we discussed with the art consultant was how we could bring the outside in. For example the last painting, Andrew Browne’s ‘The Space Between’ is a site-specific acrylic painting of actual trees, Holly Grace’s ‘Bonsai Series, 2009’ glass artwork are also trees, and Eduardo de Luca’s ‘Little Buildings of Melbourne’ are small porcelain sculptures of buildings around Melbourne.” Keeping with the tree theme, lighting designer Geoffrey Mance crafted a series of spherical structures made of bound ghost gum branches and twigs, called ‘The Hedgehog’. There are also various pieces of ceramist Jill Symes’ work on display, and Lara Merrett’s vibrant abstract colour work towers over the dining room. » Global Art Projects: (03) 9527 8255 or www.gap.net.au
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www.magnasys.tv Distributed in Australia by: Magna Systems and Engineering, Unit 2, 28 Smith Street, Chatswood, NSW 2067 Australia Tel: (02) 9417 1111 Fax: (02) 9417 2394
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The Golden Sheaf Hotel Double Bay for everyone. Text: Lucie Robson
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his is no small bar; no regular corner pub. — the intriguing, spacious rooms of the Golden Sheaf Hotel are something else entirely. Like many pubs all over Australia, it’s seen a lot in its day. But long a staple of the Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs set and bar scene, this establishment’s recent renovations have transformed it into the everyman’s pub of a new era. “We cater to everyone from local families of the working class, to the Eastern Suburbs socialites,” says Natalie James from Solotel Hotel Management, the company that manages the Golden Sheaf. “The refit has increased the size of the Hotel which has increased our business. It has also given us more areas to expand our offering.”
No Golden Oldie Walk through the art deco doors of this massive establishment and you’re spoilt for choice. The phalanx of six quality bars includes the popular Sports Bar, the Back Bar, which merges with the spacious beer garden (something the hotel is well known for), the new and relaxed Deck Bar, and another new edition, the lavish and multiroomed Soda Bar. The Soda Bar is indeed setting the bar for interiors across the city. It has been reinvented as an ideal space for mediumsized functions, and its collection of rooms,
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or rather, ‘parlours’, all have a personality of their own. They are lusciously decorated with embossed wallpapers, gilded and cushy armchairs and lounges, and over-sized pot plants. The ‘Monsteria’ room — the main bar area — channels period drama and can accommodate a function of 70 people. Slightly smaller is the ‘Midas’ room, which, as its name suggests, is largely golden (but thankfully not overdone). Accommodating up to 15 people is the ‘Red’ room, which exudes the intimacy of an old-fashioned boudoir. Still, for all the references to the luxury of manors past, it is loved by many bright young things of the present. And the powers that be, as well…
Best Reno Recently, the Golden Sheaf won the Best Venue Renovation award at the Australian Liquor Industry Awards (ALIA). “The new Back Bar also has a real presence with its spectacular fitout,” says Natalie James. The interior is a stylish balance of straight lines and sensuous curves, neat clutter and open space. Throughout the numerous rooms, long and low couches are accompanied by round stools, oversized lampshades hanging above. Dark greens
and browns mix with silvers and greys, and the long, dark green marble bar is a new take on a touch of something regal. It’s an interesting mix of elements, but nothing seems out of place. Between Wednesday and Sunday, patrons can come here to enjoy live music and DJs on stage with their cold drinks. It has a cosmopolitan feel and blends seamlessy with the welladorned beer garden, which is another
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important feature. “With the changes in smoking legislation over recent years, the beer garden has proved invaluable,” says Natalie James. “Also, with the increase in popularity of alfresco dining, people often seek an outdoor experience.” Those looking for a more relaxed evening can go to the Deck Bar. Its neutral colours are cool and ambient, and it can be described as a real indoor/outdoor area. “We purchased the old Georges restaurant building next door and removed half of the
roof in the building creating a sunny deck oasis with comfy seating and also a balcony and deck bar overlooking the existing beergarden,” says James. Regarding drinks, the Golden Sheaf offers an extensive collection of tap beers, wines and cocktails, as well as a bottleshop open until midnight. There is also the popular Sheaf Bistro, to satisfy peckish drinkers. And upstairs, nine comfortable hotel rooms retain the overall art deco character of the building. “All aspects compliment one another. The Golden Sheaf offers an experience for everyone. Whether it be watching a sporting event in the public bar, enjoying a meal with friends, choosing one of the freshly prepared cocktails in soda bar or watching a live band, we have done our best to provide enjoyment for all tastes and age groups.” Hanker Sheaf One of the reasons for the massive refit was to bring some cultural excitement back to the local area of Double Bay in light of the restructuring that can happen when a large shopping centre comes to town, says James. “With the opening of Westfield in Bondi Junction, many businesses left the Double Bay shopping precinct including the local cinema. This left local people with fewer options for entertainment and social meeting places,” she remarks. “Management reviewed the offerings at the
Golden Sheaf, including expanding entertainment to more evenings a week and also increasing food options to cater to the wider market.” It’s not unusual to find a hotel that has left the grand old days behind and been modified to look more like a palace than a pub. Those establishments that manage to retain, or create, a distinct personality, are the most enjoyable to visit, and visit regularly. The Golden Sheaf is more like a collection of personalities. All of whom you would want to get to know, of course.
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» Golden Sheaf Hotel: 429 New South Head Rd, Double Bay NSW » Bromic (Outdoor Heating): (02) 9714 0823 or www.bromic.com.au » Café Culture: (02) 9699 8577 or www.cafeculture.com.au » Point Of View (Lighting Design): (02) 9818 6355 or www.pov.com.au » Thonet (Barstools): (02) 9332 1600 or www.thonet.com.au » Photos: Brett Winstone
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Golden Sheaf Audiovisuals Under Control As hospitality installations become more sophisticated — more zones, more screens and projectors, more options… there are more ways in which staff can get things hideously wrong. We all know how a new audiovisual appliance in our home comes with its own remote control and on/off/set/tweak routine, so you can imagine how involved any serious professional venue install can become. Which is why more venues are turning to ‘control systems’. There are two big players in control: Crestron and AMX. These systems are a little like the ‘universal remote’ you might get for your living room. They can control all aspects of your audiovisual setup from one interface. The interface’s simplicity and ease of use is down to the ability of the installer to program it (in the case of The Golden Sheaf, Musicland was the installer) — a good installer will completely customise the interface to your own requirements. The Golden Sheaf uses a Crestron kit comprising a number of four- and six-inch touchpanels in the various bars. Behind the scenes a Media Matrix Nion DSP system ensures the audio is routed to the right place on demand. Pictured here is the back bar showing the performance area. Martin Audio H3H+ speakers are doing most of the work, powered by QSC PL Series amplifiers. The DJ booth is packed with Pioneer and Technics kit, while the mic cupboard has a good complement of Shure and AudioTechnica microphones. An XTA DP448 loudspeaker processor, RCF322 powered monitors speakers and JBL Control micro ceiling speakers finish off the rooms AV. » Musicland: (02) 9361 0459 or www.musicland.net.au » Crestron: (02) 9737 8203 or www.crestron.com.au » TAG (Martin, QSC, Audio-Technica): (02) 9519 0900 or www.tag.com.au » Audio Telex (Media Matrix): (02) 9647 1411 or www.audiotelex.com.au » Jands (JBL, Shure): (02) 9582 0909 or www.jands.com.au » Production Audio (XTA): (03) 9264 8000 or www.productionaudio.com.au » Group Technologies (RCF): (03) 9354 9133 or www.gtaust.com
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ALFRESCO SPECIAL
In a nation of alfresco drinkers and diners, an appealing outdoor area ranks up there with a good wine list – essential, unless you want your patrons to drift off elsewhere. venue looks at some fresh takes on the world of outdoor drinking and dining. Text: Sophie Gebhardt
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S
ince the introduction of the smoking regulations a couple of years ago, outdoor areas have become not only integral to a venue’s success, but are central to its overall design brief. No longer tacked on at the end of the design and building process, a grudging tip of the hat to the smoking pariahs among us, the outdoor area or areas of a venue are now more likely to determine the design as a whole, with a flow between inside and outside that reflects Australians’ love of the great outdoors, and the need for an easy segue between the two. A number of the alfresco areas featured here make use of key design elements to achieve this merging of inside and out. A lot of glass doors and windows is an obvious way to open up spaces to interaction, and to maximise passive heating and cooling. The South Sydney Graphic Arts Club (SSAGC) in Mascot NSW is a perfect example of a clever use of glass to create an illusion of space, and to extend the sense of being in the Brasserie to those sitting in the outdoor area. Similarly, the table at the far end of Mr Wilkinson bar, in Brunswick East, Victoria, extends through the glass into the courtyard, joining the two areas seamlessly. Another design element cropping up all over the place is the use of atypical outdoor furniture and fittings. No more are outdoor diners/drinkers condemned to hard wooden furniture of a distinctly lower grade than that used indoors; outdoor furniture now has a loungey look and feel, with a huge variety of styles, textures and textiles being employed, increasing the sense of the cross-over between spaces. And if you are a gaming venue, a secluded outdoor gaming area is de rigueur, with both SSGAC and the Lakes Hotel in Rosebury singling out smoking gamers for special attention. About bloody time some might say! Of the myriad considerations in designing and constructing an outdoor area, the most important is patron comfort, which taps into the nitty-gritty of design. Aspects such as heating, cooling, protection from the sun and the rain, and acoustics that are both pleasant for patrons and acceptable to councils, all need to be in place before the fun side of design can begin. Palmz at the Carlton Hotel in Melbourne’s CBD is a good illustration of design flights of fancy coming up against the very real restrictions of location, building structure and council regulations, with the final product meeting everyone’s expectations and more. Each of the venues featured here has tackled the fundamental aspects of alfresco design in thoughtful and creative ways, and each has succeeded in providing diverse, attractive and functional outdoor spaces that can be enjoyed all year round and for all manner of reasons.
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ALFRESCO SPECIAL
Lakes Hotel
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n 2007 Paul Kelly Design was approached to transform the Lakes Hotel into a ‘family destination’ for dining and drinking, focusing on attracting the increasingly cashed-up locals. The Hotel hadn’t been touched for up to 20 years and still retained many of the original ’50s features, including the uninviting outdoor area with its old toilet block. A significant part of the brief from the Hotel’s owners focused on developing this area into somewhere people would want to sit, eat and drink, and on maximising the ways the space could be used. Paul Kelly says that the outdoor area was created “as an extension to the internals of the hotel. The trick with creating outdoor areas is to make the indoor areas feel like the outdoor, and visa versa. We left the large trees that were part of the original beer garden to become part of the internal space, and built a glass roofing structure around these trees. This frame (holding the glass) extends outdoors (without the glass), working like an extrusion of the space.” There is no doubt that the team from Paul Kelly has achieved wonders. The beer garden is now split into three areas — lounge, raised dining and outdoor banquette — with the whole space radiating a relaxed, resort-like feel. This atmosphere of style and comfort was PKD’s intention, aiming for a mix between ‘high-end Asian and classic European’ with the use of contemporary white masonry contrasted with the classic timber-backed banquettes and feature pendant lights. The relaxed feel of the space is enhanced by the comfortable lounges and a variety of cushions: clearly one impact of a nation-wide lack of rain has meant that designers can now use textiles in outdoor areas that once would not have been contemplated.
The outdoor area is bounded by a 5m acoustic sound wall, as requested by council, which is disguised with a mixture of timber slats, perforated iron sheeting, a selection of tropical plants in the foreground and, of course, the giant fig tree. The effect is that the wall almost disappears, with the focus of the area being the clusters of seats, lounge chairs and dining tables, and the inevitable good times they imply. As Paul Kelly says, “Basically an outdoor area should not have a boundary and needs to bleed into all spaces for it to work successfully.” PKD also added an outdoor gaming area to cater for smokers, which is enclosed with acoustic screening and surrounded by climbing Chinese jasmine, creating a delightful spot for gaming smokers to wile away the hours. The Lakes Hotel has become what PKD describes as “a new breed of high octane bistro”, offering a choice of spaces to eat, drink and be merry, and sporting a stunning outdoor area that has dramatically increased the potential of the Hotel. » The Lakes Hotel: 307 Gardeners Rd Rosebury NSW www.lakeshotel.com.au » Paul Kelly Design: www.paulkellydesign.com.au or paul@paulkellydesign.com.au » Arcon (Construction): (02) 9389 4100 or www.arcon-nsw.com.au » Lamba (AV): (02) 9758 8888 or www.lamba.com.au » Hughes Commercial Furniture: 1800 242 479 or www.hughescf.com.au » Interstudio (Furniture): 1300 785 199 or www.interstudio.com.au » Hub Furniture: (02) 9217 0700 or www.hubfurniture.com.au » Inlite (Lighting): (02) 9211 3544 or www.inlite.com.au » Classic Ceramics (Tiles): (02) 9560 6555 or www.classicceramics.com.au
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ALFRESCO SPECIAL
Penrith Panthers
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ltis Architecture developed the new part of Panthers from concept to reality. The design philosophy was focused on bringing the outside in — and what an outdoors to ‘bring in’! Take a look at the beautifully landscaped lake, with several floating pavilions designed for outside dining, lounging, drinking along with viewing sports, films and functions. The floating pavilions are surrounded by a dramatic backdrop of lighting and water features situated throughout the lake – the lake wasn’t internally lit to maximise its ability to reflect light rather than emit it. The existing club presented itself as an inward looking building. Altis’s aim was to create a visual presence for the club by drawing on influences from its natural surroundings. With Panthers being located at the foot of The Blue Mountains, the colour palate was drawn from the earthy and natural tones found in the surrounding landscape — earthy beiges, burnt orange and chocolate browns. The choice of materials is of earthy brick work, warm split-faced masonry and stone, timber cladding, expressed metal frames and screening, along with sandstone landscape elements. » Cool Cat: Panthers comprises a mixture of signature restaurants, a
high quality food court with several food offerings, a central bar area and lounge spaces which lead onto the alfresco terraces surrounded by the ‘enviro’ lake. A central atrium over the main bar creates a visual link between the function and food and beverage areas. The floating pavilions are surrounded by a dramatic backdrop of lighting and water features situated throughout the lake.
» Penrith Panthers: www.panthers.com.au » Altis Architecture: (02) 9364 9000 or www.altisarchitecture.com » Hughes Commercial Furniture: (02) 6299 3826 or www.hughescf.com.au » Earp Brothers (Floor Finishes): (02) 9410 3222 or www.earp.com.au » Cafe Culture: (02) 9699 8577 or www.cafeculture.com.au » Thonet: (02) 9332 1600 or www.thonet.com.au
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arely a year old, Mr Wilkinson has already established a firm reputation for its immaculate design and particular form of hospitality – an oldstyle, friendly but discrete service that ties in with the tranquil interior, which offers a refuge from the bustle of Lygon Street or from those searing Melbourne summer days. The bar takes its name from the ‘Father of Brunswick’, Mr Thomas Wilkinson, who founded Brunswick over 150 years ago. Thomas Wilkinson was known as a generous and charitable man, who donated land for the area’s first Church, established the first local newspaper, and set up Brunswick’s first post office in 1846 in his own home. The small but by no means cramped courtyard was built in January of this year, as Mr W’s owners needed to get the building owner’s approval to remove the back section of the roof, “which he was more than happy to do, given what we had done to the rest of the place,” says Gordon Johnson, one of Mr W’s owners. As a local for about 15 years, Gordon appreciated the ‘Melbourne need for sitting outside’, not solely because of the smoking regulations, but because we are a beer garden-loving town. “It’s pretty much been a work in progress and there are still a few things to do, plants being the main one. We really want to get it pretty overgrown with greenery as soon as possible.’ Mr W is Gordon’s first venue as owner and designer, as part of Tribeca Design, a relatively new company that has begun to establish a firm reputation in the world of venue design. Gordon sourced and made most of the fitout from recycled materials, including the main table that cleverly runs from the inside, through the glass, to the courtyard. “I made the table from some old roof trusses I salvaged from a friend’s house. It’s always nice to breathe some new life into discarded objects. The other bench, which runs along the north wall of the courtyard, I pulled out of my old studio. Once again, it was just sitting there, gathering dust, and now it’s the life of the party!”
ALFRESCO SPECIAL
Mr Wilkinson
One of the most appealing aspects of the courtyard is its clever mix of old and new, so the space is both fresh and comfortable; clean lines without being overly sleek. Gordon agrees that this was his intention: “The older, more rustic pieces sit well with the new spotted gum decking and plywood banquet seating and planters. The main dividing wall was Eames-inspired, and once again, I had a lot of old acrylic and assorted glass panels, which I just mixed up to break the whole thing up, I must admit its one of my favourite features; that and the incandescent lamps above the bar.” » Mr Wilkinson: 295 Lygon Street, East Brunswick VIC (03) 9388 8578 or mrwilkinsonbar@gmail.com
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or five days in October 2009, Sydney’s Opera Bar was home to an installation that took the idea of ‘beer garden’ into a whole new realm. Already one of Sydney’s most spectacular outside drinking and eating spots, Opera Bar’s ‘Best Beer Garden in the World’ was the creative collaboration of event producers, Rinsed Studio and Edward Woodley of China Heights Gallery. The team transformed the lower concourse of the Opera bar into a luxurious and eco-conscious cross between the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and the Garden of Eden, featuring living plants, trees and water features, all set against one of the best known back-drops in the world – the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay. With a strong environmental focus, Rinsed Studio and China Heights used recycled materials to create the garden, sourced from prop suppliers, auction houses and council clean-ups [I thought I saw my old black and white telly there somewhere — Ed]. The lush foliage was loaned from nurseries and garden centres. While the Best Beer Garden in the World was only open for five days, you can tour the installation via Opera Bar’s website, which gives some idea of the dramatic effect of the Garden and the pleasure it brought to those lucky enough to visit in person.
ALFRESCO SPECIAL
Opera Bar
» Opera Bar: www.operabar.com.au » Rinsed Studio: www.rinsedstudio.net or info@rinsedstudio.net » China Heights: www.chinaheights.com
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ALFRESCO SPECIAL
South Sydney Graphic Arts Club
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ltis Architecture carried out the original refurbishment of the South Sydney Graphic Arts Club in 2001, working closely with the owner, Ian McMillan, and leading to the Club winning The Club of the Year award on a number of occasions. Not surprisingly then, when the next stage of the redevelopment was ready for the go-ahead, Altis was again called upon to weave its magic. The client’s brief to Altis was to design each outdoor space to reflect the character and function of the adjoining internal space. The Club now boasts four vibrant and inviting new terrace areas, with each area of the club now flowing out to individual terraces that offer patrons a choice of casual verandah-style drinking, more intimate alfresco dining off the Brasserie, courtyard dining for private functions, and a secluded outdoor gaming area that is a natural extension of the gaming room. Ruth Harris and Rolfe Latimer, who headed up the Altis team, note that the over-arching brief for all the alfresco spaces was the requisite compliance with the government smoking codes, an ability to close off areas for acoustic control, provision of an eclectic range of furniture that is comfortable and durable and creates a sense of ‘outdoor rooms’ and, of course, all-weather controls such as heating, wind control walls, and covered areas for shade and rain protection. Ruth says, “The key goal was to create an outdoor ‘room’, rather than
a traditional open terrace. This was achieved in the soft and hard furniture, in the lighting, wall and floor finishes, and the individual fixtures.” The above brief reveals how complex designing alfresco spaces can be, and the many considerations that have to be taken into account, not least the restrictions imposed by the location of a venue. “The Graphic Arts Club is located on a very tight inner city site with minimal options to extend the footprint without interfering with car-parking and pedestrian access around the club. The rear outdoor areas are designed within these tight constraints, however, this provided the scope for a number of smaller, more intimate spaces, rather than one large area, which is more the norm. These multi-use spaces promote a far stronger return for the client, and maximise the appeal, usage and financial return to the club.” » South Sydney Graphic Arts Club: 182 Coward Street, Mascot NSW www.ssgac.com.au » Altis Architecture: (02) 9364 9000 or www.altisarchitecture.com » Brintons Carpet: (02) 9564 6222 » Furniture New Vogue (Lounge chair): (02) 9533 4799 » LMI Concepts: (02) 9565 2355 » Bromic (Heaters): (02) 9714 0823 or www.bromic.com.au
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ike a lot of older Melbournians, I remember the Carlton Hotel on Bourke Street from my late teens as the seedy hostel and pub where you went to play pool and drink with a rag-tag band of international backpackers. The atmosphere was reliably less than salubrious, where health & safety were not the key concerns of either the patrons or the owners. The transformation of the Carlton by Tracey Lester, who has turned her hand to a number of successful Melbourne venues over many years, is almost complete, with the much-awaited opening of the Palmz Rooftop bar and Palmz Deck bar.
transported up three levels, and are now installed as pivotal and slightly over-the-top features of the Deck bar.
Tracey has spent the last four years turning her vision of a tropical oasis in the heart of the CBD into a reality, and it is now possible to say that not a hint of the old Carlton remains. Both the Rooftop bar and Deck bar could be anywhere in the world, while at the same time, with their distinctive Melbourne rooftop surrounds and skyline, they provide a new view on Melbourne’s quirky CBD. Decked out, literally, the outdoor bars are a nod to Tracey’s favourite parts of the world – that is, anywhere tropical. Luxuriously planted with tropical flowers, ferns, 40 full-size palm trees, and fantastic hanging gardens (all designed by Matt Dux of I Love My Garden), the two levels of Palmz are incongruously reminiscent of a beachside bar in Cancun, the tropical Cairns, Cambodia, or the Carribean.
Worked into the design of the outdoor bars are all sorts of sustainable elements, such as a piped watering system from a tank under the stairs to the hanging gardens that line the staircases. There are also reticulated remote-controlled awnings for shade and rain protection, meaning the Deck bar can be used all year round, increasing the capacity of the many-levelled Carlton dramatically. At full stretch, with each outdoor and indoor area being utilised to its potential, the Carlton can now hold up to 600 people, and it gives each and every patron a huge choice of areas in which to congregate. Tracey says that ‘you do see people moving from one level to another, as each area has its separate feel. On Tuesday night, which was really hot, it was really crowded on the balcony, whereas on the rooftop there were about 30 people and it was really chilled out and relaxed, whereas the bar was really ‘ra-ra-ra’ — and each area felt like a totally different venue.’
And it is precisely this odd juxtaposition of thatched huts and palm trees with inner CBD surrounds that drove Tracey to pursue her vision, offering patrons a cool, green refuge from the hubbub below. The process was not without its hurdles, as there were issues with council regulations and the inevitable problems of construction within the footprint of the building. The mind boggles at the fact that the enormous fake palms, which were rescued from the set of the Spielberg mini-series, The Pacific (due out in 2010), were somehow
Tracey Lester designed the entirety of the Carlton herself, and the interior is a sharp contrast to the exterior, although they are connected by Tracey’s taste for the exotic combined with comfort. When I asked where she got her inspiration, Tracey replied: ‘I take it all out of my head. It’s an extension of my aesthetic, and it’s the way I like it. It’s comfortable, but it looks different and it’s not just about the latest trend or design.’
» Palmz at the Carlton: 193 Bourke Street, Melbourne VIC (03) 9663 3216 or www.thecarlton.com.au » ECC Furniture & Lighting: www.ecc.com.au
ALFRESCO SPECIAL
Palmz at the Carlton
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Boring but Important
Alfresco Alright
D
ue to unpredictable weather patterns and the need to remain competitive, it is becoming a necessity for venue operators to focus on the designing and planning of alfresco areas. Comfort is a high priority for patrons wishing to enjoy the outdoors. Typically, this means suitably covered areas with seating and cooling, while some bars and restaurants even go to the lengths of providing outdoor music and video systems as a way to further enhance the alfresco experience. Altus Page Kirkland has been working with major hotel groups and other entertainment venues for many years, both for new build projects and complete base building refurbishments. Through experience we have learnt to recognise that the key focus for designers and operators should be the configuration of food and beverage areas and the ability to maximise the use of shelter, shade, discrete cooling and heating systems and ventilation.
not just for summer, allowing maximum use, as well as creating a prime environment for relaxation.
It is vital these areas are welcoming to both guests and residents and if possible, are in the most prominent positions of an establishment. This may be adjacent to a boardwalk, overlooking the beach, or on a roof top. They all have one element in common — capitalising on the use of outdoor areas. In this respect, the Australian climate can be a blessing, but also present a real challenge.
As well as man-made, engineered devices, we have also previously used natural materials in our projects. Wood and various landscaping materials including trees, palms and vegetation, are an age-old, well recognised means of protection from the elements throughout the year. They also enhance the appearance of any outdoor space and provide screening for privacy. Trees are very effective in obstructing the sun’s rays and casting a dense shadow. Plants also provide filtered and insulated air pockets, thus reducing the need for cooling. Deciduous trees can be designed to provide shade in exposed outdoor areas in summer and as they loose their leaves in autumn, they will also allow more sunlight in the cooler months.
Venue operators can create a more relaxing experience for their guests by sourcing products from suppliers that offer innovative shade devices such as solar blinds, tinted glass, sunshades, pergolas, cabanas and retractable awnings. We are always investigating new and unique ways to overcome the effects of the sun, wind and rain in alfresco settings.
Most of the Views Typically, the outdoor areas of RSLs, clubs and hotels are not designed simply as an additional space, rather, they are a key part of the whole experience. Kirribilli Club (pictured), located in Milson’s Point, is a good example of a venue capitalising on both indoor and outdoor areas. The main focus for this refurbishment was to not only upgrade the existing club, but also showcase the magnificent Sydney Harbour views. The use of retractable bi-fold doors allows the bar inside to connect to the tables and chairs outside, which both overlook the harbour. When the doors are closed for the cooler months, guests are still able to enjoy a great view with their meal.
Staying Cool
Salt on the Senses A good example of such a project is the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Terrigal, which has the added advantage of being positioned adjacent to Terrigal Beach. The disadvantage, however, is that because of its location, it’s subject to the added effects of salt water. Prior to the renovation and new design, the forecourt area was crowded in by a perimeter brick balustrade and privacy screens, which obscured the beach views. In order to provide a more welcoming forecourt for guests, we used modern materials and cutting edge designs. Our design brief was to bring the beach to the outdoor dining area. To allow the forecourt to function as a comfortable outdoor space, a large continuous fabric awning was used to provide shade and shelter for guests. These awnings were purpose made, came in different shapes and sizes and can be operated both manually and automatically. A fixed awning was chosen for the hotel and this was structurally designed to withstand 150kmh winds. It was also important that the steel structure was galvanised and powder coated. The fabric was 100% UV protected, making it more durable and weatherproof. The aim was to create an outdoor area that could be used all-year-round,
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Outdoor cooling is just as important as the strategic use of shading and shelter. Standard wall and ceiling fans are one option, however, an innovative technology such as evaporative cooling or ‘misting,’ which cools the air, can be considered. Fine water droplets are sprayed into the air, which quickly absorb the heat present in the environment and evaporate, becoming water vapour. The heat is eliminated and the air is cooled. If positioned correctly at a high level and aimed slightly above the horizon, patrons won’t be affected or even notice the moisture. A number of factors play a key role in the creation of a successful outdoor area. The design must allow for all types of weather. Major considerations such as awnings, vegetation and outdoor cooling systems are integral features that enhance the area, creating an inviting, comfortable alfresco ambience that people can enjoy during any time of the year. Steve Williams is a director of Project Management at Altus Page Kirkland, International Property & Construction Consultants.
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commercial edge
King Of The Rugs
Missing that Communist touch in your venue? Than Tsar rugs might be just thing to tread under foot for that air of superiority. The geometric Dimensions rug is from the new season of Freeform rugs. Freeform allows you to combine any choice of yarns, colours, pile heights and techniques to create something truly unique. The rugs are hand tufted and can even stretch to be wall-to-wall carpet. » Tsar Rugs: (03) 9525 0488 or www.tsar.com.au
™
Your Commercial Edge Be a part of venue’s Commercial Edge section and reach a nationwide readership of buyers, specifiers, owners, managers and designers. Phone Stew now on (02) 9986 1188
Flooring / Floor coverings / Audiovisuals / Lighting / Heating / Refrigeration / Furniture / Web Design / Bathroom Fittings / Kitchen Supplies / Air Conditioning / Bar Supplies / Cleaning Services / Glassware / Professional / Services / Promotional Items / Security / Architectural & Interior Design / Training & Education / Point of Sale / Uniforms / Vending / Signage / Financial Services / Catering St. Leonards Tavern by Response Group Australia Photo: Katharine Formosa
Palm Beach Black
Tait Outdoor In Store
Palm Beach Black is a water-based, colourfast black stain for any timber type. As with any stain, the level of intensity is an entirely individual choice. Depending on the method of application, number of coats and thickness of coverage, Palm Beach Black can go from a transparent enhancement of the timber to a full-on saturated, opaque effect. It’s also low in VOCs and a UV resistant exterior grade paint.
Tait has retreated indoors. No, they’re not turning their back on what they’re known for, quality outdoor furniture, they’ve just opened a Melbourne store to show off all their goodies in one spot. The new store is at 176 Johnston Street, Fitzroy. So, if you’re in Melbourne, head in to the Fitzroy store and check out some quality locally designed gear.
» Porters Paint: 1800 656 664 or www.porterspaint.com
» Tait Store: (03) 9419 7484 or store@tait.biz
Dyson: Breath of Fresh Air
RBA Commercial Bathroom Range
Fans are bad… they’re old-school and they ‘buffet’. Dyson’s Air Multiplier dispenses with traditional blades in favour of a totally novel jet-powered air flow, without buffeting… smooth as. Dyson is an engineering-led company best known for its bagless vacuum cleaners. It’s not a whitegoods manufacturer and, in many ways, the Air Multiplier came out of the clear blue sky. Nevertheless it’s a great invention, displaying some awesome industrial design. Facts and figures aside, the Air Multiplier will walk off the shelves because it looks so cool. Don’t be embarrassed, buy up big: put one on the bar, one for the maitre d’s station, one for the powder room… splash out.
RBA’s range of stainless steel bathroom products bring exceptional, streamlined, architectural style to commercial and public washrooms, with a conscious minimalist approach, boasting a modern look. Our range of bathroom products are durable, easily maintained and are the finest in the market. We have a range of options to accommodate all essential services from stainless steel toilets & taps, paper towel dispensers & waste receptacles, to sleek slim line hand-dryers.
» Dyson: 1800 239 766 or www.dyson.com.au
Most of our products are robustly constructed in type 304 stainless steel; they are both well-designed and practical, providing a clean, unobstructed environment. This is especially appreciated in those very high traffic areas and also by persons with disabilities. RBA bathroom accessory series are crafted of 50%-70% post-industrial recycled stainless steel and we recognise the need to act in an environmentally mindful manner. RBA are committed to a sustainable development strategy to ensure a better quality of life. » RBA: 1300 788 778 or www.rba.com.au
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it
Mazagan Beach Resort – Morocco
Y
ou can build a hotel for $15m, but instead of spending that kind of dosh on another wing of the already expansive (at a cost of $247m it’s also very expensive) Mazagan Beach Resort in Morocco, hotel magnate Sol Kerzner spent it on the opening party. South African Kerzner is the also the man behind other colossal ventures, and ‘It’ alumnis, such as the 1539-room Atlantis in Dubai — the one that used to house a full-grown basking shark in its aquarium and paid millions to Kylie to open up shop with a bang. The Mazagan opening party’s 1500-strong guest list included party girls Lindsay Lohan and Naomi Campbell as well as film star Gerard Butler, who were entertained by snake charmers, 5000 bottles of champagne and trained monkeys proffering roses to the female guests — that’s right, trained monkeys. Just 90km South-West of Casablanca, the Mazagan sits among mostly undeveloped land with sole claim to a 7km stretch of beach. There are 468 rooms and 17 suites in the five-star resort, with the whopping 400sqm Royal suite including two big bedrooms, a lounge, kitchen, bathroom and extensive balcony. It also contains 11 restaurants, huge goblet-shaped fountains surrounded by hundreds of daybeds, a casino, spa complex, Grand Riad in a traditional Moroccan turreted style, and the requisite Gary Player-designed 18-hole course. The Mazagan however is merely a test of the Moroccan waters for Kerzner, who owns 400 hectares in the area. He’s waiting to see how this paltry investment fares before really injecting some serious cash into the area. The mind boggles.
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» Mazagan Beach Resort: www.mazaganbeachresort.com
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Don’t Cut Corners No audio corners were cut when Hugo’s Lounge in Kings Cross was refit with with EAW speakers ranging from DC5 & DC6 Avalon boxes for the dancefloor, through to JFX88 as room fill and CIS400 ceiling speakers for the balcony. Skyy bar has been fitted with speaker cabinets from the MK range and all processing & zoning was digitally performed with Symetrix Symnet.
“
DJW Projects has been instrumental in providing Hugo’s Lounge & Skyy Bar with a complete Audio & Lighting Solution. They are an amazing outfit and remain our company of choice. We have also recently used them in our new venue Hugo’s Manly. Dave Evans - MD Hugos Group
Hugos Lounge and Skyy Bar, Sydney, named 2007 ‘Nightclub Of The Year’. System: EAW Avalon Series PA, Powersoft amplification, Symetrix Symnet processing. Sound design & installation: DJW Projects.
Production Audio Services Pty Ltd P.(03) 9264 8000 info@productionaudio.com.au www.productionaudio.com.au
DJW Projects P. (02) 9114 9993 dave@djwprojects.com.au www.djwprojects.com.au
”
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For information on our range of projectors call 1300 130 194 or visit epson.com.au *4 years or 10,000 hours. **1 year or 750 hours.