9 minute read
DESIGN & BUILD: A PORTAL TO ANOTHER WORLD
A portal to another world
With five unique offerings under one roof, the variety of design inspirations combined at The Bristol create an immersive and transportive experience for guests.
FORMERLY KNOWN as the Bristol Arms, Oscars Group has reimagined the historic Sydney venue as The Bristol, creating a multi-level experience in the centre of Sydney. Presenting a contemporary venue for inner-city pub goers, The Bristol draws from diverse design inspirations such as Greek tavernas, Mediterranean rooftop bars, and iconic New York venues like Studio 54.
The Bristol is located on the western edge of the Sydney CBD, and just outside of the YCK Laneways nightlife precinct. With an impressive 5am entertainment license and a range of experiences appealing to different guests and occasions, The Bristol’s general manager, Tom Corbett, said that the venue is a unique offering in the area.
“The motivation is to bring something exciting to this side of the city. Sussex Street needed something like this. There’s a lot of excitement on George Street and beyond, but we’re really trying to prove that there’s a lot of life to be had down on this side of the city as well,” he said.
With five levels each offering a unique guest experience, The Bristol comprises a public bar and sports bar; a restaurant, Ela Ela; a disco-inspired party space, Calypso; a luxurious cocktail bar, Midtown; and a vibrant rooftop bar. Each space has its own signature cocktail list, unique food and entertainment offerings, and distinct visual identity.
An elevated experience
The variety of spaces available at The Bristol presents a unique appeal to guests, and careful consideration has been put into providing an entertaining and memorable experience in each level of the venue.
“We have something for everyone. We have five levels, and each level has its own identity. We really do try and deliver something special for any person that comes through the doors,” Corbett said.
Tom Corbett, The Bristol
…we wanted to create an environment for our guests where they can get lost. It almost feels like anything could happen on any night. There’s a really exciting atmosphere.
The ground floor opens onto the public bar and sports bar, where designer Paul Papadopoulos, creative director of DS17, sought to retain elements of the venue’s history.
“As you come into the public bar, which is what people remembered the Bristol for, our intention was still to keep part of the old charm, but give it a modern look and feel,” he said.
The sports bar offers an elevated experience, where guests can enjoy a wide range of sports amid sophisticated décor.
“The sports bar has a huge eight-metre LED screen. We have a late license, so we don’t just have to showcase NFL and NBA, we can have the Premier League on for people late at night. It’s a really beautiful space. In my opinion, it’s the nicest fit out sports bar in Sydney,” Corbett said.
Papadopoulos wanted the design to encourage guests to enjoy the space for longer periods of time.
“With the sports bar, we didn’t want to create the traditional bistro or bar that every sports bar looks like. We wanted a nice atmosphere where people can come and spend time in over the day, with elements like brewed beer in those beautiful copper vats,” he said.
From the ground floor, guests enter the different levels through a central staircase, which serves as a connecting element for the diverse identities of The Bristol’s different spaces.
“There’s a colour tone as you come up the stairs to differentiate the levels, as well as artwork and surfaces. It was difficult enough to complement each space, but we also wanted to take people through the journey as they were coming up the stairs or up in the lift,” Papadopoulos said.
“The curves and arches implemented throughout the levels is our representation of the portals to the spaces beyond.”
History and heritage
Reflecting the long history of the venue, The Bristol’s heritage façade has been retained, and is echoed in design elements throughout the venue.
“We wanted to respect the heritage architecture of the façade, so we wanted to keep the corbeling and the old-world fluting. That’s why we introduced a lot of curves and details throughout the venue. Curves are present, in arches or countertops, and in the fireplace. The marble throughout the venue has a beautiful double scallop edging. We wanted a softer approach. There are a lot of elements that tie the whole philosophy of design together,” Papadopoulos said.
Additionally, there are nods to the venue’s past as the home of the Retro nightclub, especially in the third-floor space, Calypso.
“A lot of people remember the venue from the old days as the Bristol Arms and the Retro nightclub. There’s a lot of nostalgia and a lot of history. It was what everyone was talking about when we were designing it. We didn’t want to lose that old charm, but we wanted to bring a modern, eclectic vision as well,” Papadopoulos said.
Additionally, there are nods to the venue’s past as the home of the Retro nightclub, especially in the third-floor space, Calypso.
“A lot of people remember the venue from the old days as the Bristol Arms and the Retro nightclub. There’s a lot of nostalgia and a lot of history. It was what everyone was talking about when we were designing it. We didn’t want to lose that old charm, but we wanted to bring a modern, eclectic vision as well,” Papadopoulos said.
With an installation of 350 disco balls on the ceiling, Calypso draws inspiration from famed venues such as New York’s Studio 54 to create an elevated party venue.
Your clientele that are late 20s to 50s, they want a space to party, and that’s what we’re trying to deliver for that demographic. For the 25 and under crowd, there’s plenty of venues for them. But this 25-plus demographic wants a place to party too,” stated Corbett.
Calypso’s design blends the practical with the aesthetic, with carpets and curtains lending a luxurious feel while also contributing to sound dampening between different levels. Papadopoulos explained that these elements also contribute to the versatility of the space.
“Transformation and flexibility were very important for us in the Calypso space. It can be transformed for a private event during the day or during the week, and it has a very different feel when you draw the curtains back. In the day, you wouldn’t know it’s a nightclub.”
A world of possibilities
With multiple unique experiences available under one roof, both Corbett and Papadopoulos described entering The Bristol as a transportive experience.
“In reaction to everything being shut down for so long in the city, and the many rules and constraints that have been in place, we wanted to create an environment for our guests where they can get lost. It almost feels like anything could happen on any night. There’s a really exciting atmosphere,” Corbett said.
Midtown, the fourth-floor cocktail lounge, is a prime example of this immersive experience. It boasts dark colours and luxurious design elements, mirroring the design of Golden Age New York cocktail bars.
“We wanted to mesmerise people as they walk through the space, coming from the light environment of the restaurant into this ultra-dark, aubergine, velvet, plush bar section,” stated Papadopoulos.
“Once the curtains are drawn, it feels like you could be anywhere in the world. It could be a back street in New York, or it could be a rooftop bar in Dubai.”
Midtown has space for DJs, as well as a baby grand piano and fireplace, adding to the high-class appeal.
“Everything is carpeted. There’s dark purple velvet curtains on the walls. The ceilings have been painted with mouldings in dark aubergine colours. It was a bold move, but Oscars really trusted us on it,” Papadopoulos said.
“We have a really beautiful, 10-metrelong bar with bespoke arches and bottles that are lit up on the back wall. We kept the bar at a low height, at 900mm, because we wanted that whole interaction between bartender and customer, for them to see the mixing and all those things happening behind the bar.”
Light and bright
In homage to the Greek heritage of Oscars Group’s founders, The Bristol combines many Mediterranean elements into its design. The prime example of this is the second-floor restaurant, Ela Ela, which Corbett said is an expression of Greek hospitality in the centre of Sydney.
“Ela Ela means come, come in Greek, and it’s somewhere where people are invited to stay and get that real sense of hospitality that I think is needed in the city,” he said.
The restaurant still maintains the contemporary feel of the rest of the venue.
“Ela Ela has this beautiful Athenian taverna charm, but with a modern feel. The idea was that you walk through this beautiful, reimagined pub, down the corridor, and into an old-world space that is the restaurant of this venue. You come from a darker palette into a lighter palette, with warm, natural light coming through the windows,” Papadopoulos said.
The rooftop bar also has a Mediterranean flair, with light colours, beach umbrellas, and views to the city.
“You have this fresh white, peach, cream and light-coloured interior and exposed sections. Our vision and our direction for the rooftop was Saint-Tropez. It becomes this beautiful Mediterranean bar open to the elements in the Sydney CBD, which is a wonderful backdrop for the space,” Papadopoulos said.
The diverse spaces at The Bristol appeal to a broad range of guests, with a variety of ways to start, continue, and finish the guest journey through the venue. Blending heritage, retro, and modern elements, new life has been breathed into this storied pub which presents a unique offering to the Sydney CBD.
