Image Credit : JENNIFER SOO
JASON JOWETT
Project Overview
We took an amazing trip through time to create Kittyhawk, taking Sydney’s cocktail scene to a whole new level.
The brief was to design an interior that captured the elements of classic French style and the bravado of American GIs in WWII, with authentic details.
The story starts in 1944, with the Liberation of Paris. The whole of Paris was out on the streets celebrating, dancing and drinking Champagne with the American troops who brought them freedom.
We captured that atmosphere of nostalgia and elation in one amazing rum and rye bar, with a sophisticated blend of French details and authentic artefacts and decorations from WWII. The vibe is sophisticated, with the raffish charm of the American GI’s at their favourite decadent after hours R’n’R spots and the chic, can-do spirit of Paris in the 1940s.
We created custom elements to capture the fin de siècle details of traditional Parisian bars and classic brasseries, and sourced authentic vintage details like American posters and prints from WWII and military paraphernalia.
Project Commissioner
Kittyhawk
Project Creator
AZBcreative
Team
Design Director - Alex Zabotto-Bentley
Peter Harley
Jenni Munster
Maddy Fay
Jaime-Lee Wheelwright
Jason Jowett
Lucy Erasmus-Green
Project Brief
Working closely with Kittyhawk’s inspiring owners Jared, Mikey and Eddie, we created unique areas that flow naturally, from the European conservatory to the massive main bar, through to an elevated lounge upholstered in hand-dyed leather, and on to a private booth lined with antique mirrors, called - what else? – the Cockpit.
In the main room, all eyes are drawn to the AZB bespoke 12 metre bar, hand-carved from French Oak. Handcrafted custom designed shelves and brass fittings house over 200 bottles of rare rums and rye whiskies.
The space is full of custom details, including the floor in the very special conservatory. The mosaic floor was designed and hand drawn , using tens of thousands of individually set Carrara and black marble tesserae, inspired by the mosaics of ancient Rome. This design will never be repeated and is completely exclusive to Kittyhawk.
Part of the fun of a project like this is the research and sourcing and we were able to immerse ourselves in the era, inspired by New York, Paris and Barcelona, and the authentic curios, posters and paraphernalia from the time.
Project Need
Kittyhawk is all about the refined and unique details - a magnificent set of French doors were turned into cabinets of curiosities filled with vignettes of 1940’s, WWII artefacts and mementos from original Morse code devices to WWII squadron hats, epaulettes and insignia; each cluster tells a story.
The wallpaper too is completely original as we sourced hand-blocked 1940’s wallpaper for both the upper bar and the ceiling of the conservatory
We referenced the Kittyhawk fighter planes themselves with rich shades of navy and khaki, combined with walnut, oak and classic brass accents. We built an elevated banquette lounge and upholstered it in hand-dyed military khaki leather, collected original posters and lithographs for US Bonds campaigns framed in original 1940’s frames and hung Paris Salon style encapsulating both the military feel of the bars namesake coupled with a chic French twist.
We wanted to make the bathrooms a statement moment and sourced original Victorian, early American and vintage French coloured tiles to create a striking, layered colour stack in both the mens and women’s toilets- a magnificent colour bomb.
Every time you enter Kittyhawk, you discover a new detail as the story builds.
Design Challenge
Sydney is a city full of bars all vying for the fickle Sydney customer so the brief was to envision and construct a space that was completely unique in this marketplace.
The 'Kittyhawk' concept was a tricky one as we wanted to create a venue that was true to the concept and the era without it being kitsch and too themed.
The original space was completely gutted, stairs moved, areas elevated, flooring ripped up leaving us a narrow shell with a huge and very ugly bar as the focal point.
We knew with this client that phenomenal drinks and an amazing collection of over 200 rare rums and ryes was the the focus so we needed to create a space that provided the perfect chic and relaxing back drop to enjoy their original cocktails and service but that was also interesting and exciting.
We collaborated with client on every detail of the venue and curated layers of meaning and interest so that every time someone enters the space they will discover a new detail as the story builds for them.
Sustainability
We used an amazing local artisan who hand carved the incredible 11 meter long bar.
Antiques and re-claimed items were sourced from around Australia.
Other Antique items - like the incredible set of French Wooden Doors - were repurposed into cabinets.
Vintage tiles were salvaged to be used in the bathrooms.
2016 London Design Awards
Interior Design - International Hospitality
Open to all international projects 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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