Image Credit : Front Row Studios
Kurt Anniss & Nathan Barton
1, 15-17 Simmons Street, South Yarra VIC 3141
Project Overview
Chow City is a modern interpretation of the traditional Asian street hawker food experience, where contemporary finishes mix with industrial surfaces to create a space which harnesses the vibrant ambience of its urban context by bringing the street inside.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
WILL LEAF - DESIGN ARCHITECT
DEB RAE - INTERIORS
PROJECT GROUP - BUILDER
JIN XIU TEE - ARCHITECT
Project Brief
Chow City is located on the ground floor of an original residential building in Exhibition Street, after inheriting the space from a dilapidated Thai restaurant.
The split tenancy restaurant offers a fresh take on hawker food, and in order to connect the two areas, small cobblestones were used to create a ‘laneway’ which literally leads patrons from one space to the other.
Exposed concrete ceiling and visible copper services pay homage to the origins of the building and create a raw, industrial ambience. The use of copper continues throughout the space, from the copper piping which forms the shelving behind the bar, to the large copper door handle which greets patrons on entry.
Warm leather fittings, dark timbers and ply panelling work to soften the space, which is gently lit by exposed filament lighting.
Timber flooring delineates the beginning of the dining room, which sits under a ceiling of undulating ply discs of various colours.
The inexpensive nature of street food led to the sustainable nature of the design. Reclaimed timber flooring and recycled copper piping flow throughout while tables left on site from the previous tenant were not discarded, but rather utilised in the bar.
Project Innovation/Need
The raw nature of the space and the authenticity and simplicity of street food inspired the use of robust, raw materials including concrete and copper.
This materiality creates an industrial atmosphere which reflects the bustling and unpretentious nature of a hawker market. This was then tempered by softer finishes, including leather and timber, to create an atmospheric dining experience.
Situated on a corner site, the bar addresses Exhibition Street and connects visually and literally with the street outside via new, large, operable windows. High bar dining allows patrons to observe and interact with the busy foot traffic, which creates a welcoming and inviting façade. This activation of the street edge significantly enhances the vibrancy of Exhibition Street and acts as an attractive drawcard for patrons.
Design Challenge
Chow City is a clear example of innovative and excellent design practice through its unique spatial planning and ability to blur the boundary between inside and out.
Two separate dining spaces walled off from each proposed a spatial challenge. Being able to have different areas that operated both cohesively and independently was pivotal to the success of the restaurant.
The different design intent in each area creates interest, and provides each space with a unique identity, whilst the ‘laneway’ maintains cohesion between the spaces. The careful consideration of materials, operable fenestration and soft lighting creates an atmosphere which reflects the ambiance of the street outside and connects the venue to its immediate urban context. Ultimately, the street is brought inside and the patron is able to experience the best of both worlds.
Sustainability
The pure, raw skeleton of the space and aged building above, and the hawker style food led to a design ethos that wanted to mix contemporary finishes with reclaimed and sourced details to define the eclectic blend of the two.
Reclaimed timber flooring sets the lighter feel in the bright dining room, simple plywood discs, and locally sourced copper piping add layers of fine finish to the front section, while exposed concrete ceilings, pillars, and internal façade faces add to the warmth of the space. Re-using all the existing tables left on site make use of as much of the former space as could be managed.
Interior Design - Hospitality
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors, with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes, aesthetic presentation and functionality. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
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