Innehållsförteckning för Issue 73 December 2020 från Artichoke

Hospitality is a tough business, in every sense of the word. We knew that even before a global pandemic bore its brunt. It’s also an industry that is at the heart of our communities. The corner cafe, that pub with the great beer garden, and that lovely little restaurant the whole family agrees on – these are the spaces that make up the tapestry of our neighbourhoods and, indeed, our lives. And this year, when it was all taken away, we learnt the true meaning of “absence makes the heart grow fonder.” Here in Melbourne, whose hospitality scene has been hardest hit, the ingenuity and nimbleness of owners and operators meant whole new business models were created and launched, seemingly overnight. Us diners could order pre-made cocktails to our doors,…

From the jury — Like many things this year, the judging for the 2020 Eat Drink Design Awards happened at home. The five-member jury met virtually in mid-August for a nine-hour deliberation from the comfort of our kitchen tables. Despite the digital distance, the debate was no less spirited, and in every category the final decision was unanimous. Perhaps as a response to “these uncertain times,” many of the award winners evoked a nostalgia for the past. The jury saw a repeated return to European classicism, and a push towards inclusive spaces that were comforting and familiar. Bright splashes of colour were everywhere, from fine diners to sports bars, karaoke clubs to taphouses, with an array of contrasting materials layered to establish mood and interest. There was an abundance of…

Jury comment — Hotel restaurants can sometimes be an afterthought, but Mat Lindsay’s austerely chic Poly, in the basement of the Paramount House Hotel in Sydney’s Surry Hills, stands apart as a destination in its own right. Located on a semi-subterranean inner-city corner, the fitout responds intelligently to a difficult site. Featuring a sweeping bar and a daringly exposed open kitchen, there’s a restraint and timelessness to the design that suggests a long life ahead. Communal tables, exposed utilities, raw brick and polished concrete make for a sparse, industrial, yet absolutely on-the-pulse spot to dine. The 80-seat venue is just as accessible for a late snack as it is for a lengthy lunch, and proves a worthy sequel to Lindsay’s legendary Ester in nearby Chippendale. The vision from Anthony Gill…

Jury comment — Here’s a design solution we’ve never seen before. This exciting and original reboot of the modern urban food court rewrites the rules. Housed within The Exchange, a spiralling new landmark in Sydney’s Darling Square designed by Japanese architect Kengo Kuma, the project stylishly captures the unpretentious vibe of a bustling market hall. Sliding steel doors roll back to reveal 12 individual food and beverage tenants, with glazed brick flooring, colourful overhead embellishments and industrial concrete pillars blurring the boundary between inside and out. The deceptively simple design meets a difficult brief and successfully pushes itself to set a new standard for a familiar genre. It’s an adventurous and commendable risk taken by developers Lendlease Group. While the jury has seen many attempts to reinvent the wheel in…

Jury comment — Tattersalls brings big-city style to country Armidale, New South Wales, revealing a heritage gem in a surprising location. Built during the 1850s gold rush, the grand dame was transformed in the Art Deco style in the 1930s. Now, almost a century later, the building has been exuberantly restored as a 25-room hotel with a public bar and opulent dining room centred around a wood-fired Josper oven. The playful design by Luchetti Krelle is responsive to the original building but has fun celebrating the classic details of the period. Brass embellishments, a sweeping walnut staircase and slinky archways make a splash, with custom joinery and geometric carpet adding a gilded glamour to proceedings. The unique and memorable offering deftly juggles feelings of spaciousness and intimacy over several defined…

Thomas Edison once decreed, “There’s a way to do it better – find it.” True to this sentiment, when the founders of fashion brand Incu, Brian and Vincent Wu, were looking to integrate their head office and warehousing into one location, a long skinny site that was once home to a mechanic’s workshop in Sydney’s Rosebery stood out to them as a place where just such an opportunity seemed possible. The brothers called upon their longstanding collaborator Kelvin Ho of Akin Atelier, who they had worked with for a number of years in developing Incu’s physical retail identity across a number of sites in Australia. To create Incu HQ, Ho and his team identified a key opportunity that the long narrow site presented – access from two ends, freeing the…

Hubble Bubble light from Space The playfully titled Hubble Bubble is an animated new collection of pendant lights released by Moooi. Created by irreverent Dutch designer Marcel Wanders, Hubble Bubble is inspired by childhood memories of blowing bubbles and running barefoot across the grass. The pendants are available in sets of seven or eleven bulbs, all of which are irregularly arranged around a circular frame, and can be suspended horizontally, vertically or somewhere in between. In this pandemic-shaken year, a little nostalgia for carefree times might just be the tonic we need. Space — spacefurniture.com.au Rope Chair from Anibou More like a silhouette than a solid block, the Rope Chair is a line drawing translated into three dimensions, a simple artistic gesture rendered in space. Designed by Ronan and Erwan…

Frank Camorra — Restaurateur Frank is executive chef and co-owner of the Movida group of restaurants. Born in Barcelona to Cordoban parents, he grew up in Australia. As a young man he studied architecture, but the call of the kitchen grew too strong and he went to train in some of the best restaurants in Melbourne before returning to Spain to rediscover his culinary roots. Frank has co-authored five cookbooks and was awarded “Chef of the Year” in 2009 by The Age Good Food Guide. Gemima Cody — Food and restaurant critic Gemima is the chief restaurant critic for The Age and a senior panellist for the Good Food Guide. She has been writing about food and drink in Melbourne since 2011. She helped launch Time Out Melbourne magazine and…

Jury comment — Elegant, energized, functional and integrated: the identity for this donburi cafe and milk bar in Sydney’s emerging Darling Square precinct is a resounding success. Named after the chemical dopamine, Dopa borrows a popular Japanese idiom meaning “wake from death, return to life” to use across several elements conceived by The Colour Club. Manga culture is another recurring motif for the distinctive collateral, which includes T-shirts, signage, menus and an innovative packaging system that can be easily customized to suit different customer orders. These elements, which have been thoughtfully adapted on everything from coffee cup stamps, to engravings on the ceramics, to the venue’s doorhandle, are a unified and authentic representation of the business. The inspired decision to collaborate with artist Andrew Yee has resulted in branding that…

Brighton Street Early Learning Centre by Danielle Brustman Melbourne designer Danielle Brustman has transformed a repurposed Brutalist building in inner-city Melbourne into an early education centre. The project brief invited bold use of colour and shapes – in fact, 47 interior paint colours were used. The centre exhibits a handmade and natural feel, with each playroom having its own motif, such as the “river” room, the “meadow” room, the “forest” room and the “cloud” room. These themes helped decide the narrative, palette and treatment for each space. Graphic wall murals, hand-painted by Ben Maitland, are made up of block shapes. Durable materials, such as Marmoleum flooring and Tretford rugs, were chosen for the high-traffic space. “Children are so imaginative and less inhibited than we adults. It made complete sense to…

Jury comment — Housed in a nineteenth-century wool store that was previously known as the longtime headquarters of book publisher Lonely Planet in Melbourne’s Footscray, There Cafe makes dramatic yet sensitive use of its heritage location. Executed with impressive restraint by Ewert Leaf, this buzzing inner-west meeting spot is a place where our jury could happily imagine settling in for a long afternoon to drink coffee with friends. Premium finishes share a subtle, uniform colour palette, with steel beams, leather banquettes, polished concrete and industrial light fittings accentuating the soaring, almost floor-to-ceiling windows that draw in waves of natural light. There’s a softness to the design that plays off the grandness of the original building. The rich textures and discoverable layers feel unforced, giving an easy sensibility and sophistication to…

Jury comment — Jock Zonfrillo’s lauded Adelaide fine diner Restaurant Orana was vividly recreated and reinterpreted for this month-long “pop-up” residency in Sydney’s Surry Hills. The result was especially impressive considering the limited time and scope to change the original warehouse building, which was previously the site of Thai canteen Longrain. The jury loved the clear connection between the installation design and the 24-course menu showcasing native ingredients. Using Australia’s flora and fauna as inspiration, every detail was innovatively created to fit the earthy aesthetic of sand and grass, from handmade serving dishes and glassware, to custom-made waiters’ outfits, including shoes. Particularly moving was a show-stopping sculpture of indigenous flowers made by artist Tracey Deep. The living floral garden hung spectacularly from the roof, offering a poetic representation of the…