Getting the ground floor right
Some of our favourite places to eat and drink around Melbourne – Baker Bleu, Iris the Bakery and Lagotto – all have one thing in common: they’re in a building that we designed.
Hospitality and retail can be fickle, but it can also bring exactly the right kind of liveliness to a neighbourhood. From rapidly revitalising pockets of Cremorne to the desirable laneways of Brunswick, many of our multi-residential and commercial buildings have some of Melbourne’s favourite hospitality spots at the ground floor.
While we didn’t design the fitouts at these popular hospitality spots, our work is focused on the shells around them and the way the ground floor meets the street. Of course, a good ground floor is only possible with clients who understand the market, invest in finding the right operators, and hold out for tenants who suit the building and the neighbourhood.
At 65 Dover Street, Cremorne – a project with Fortis – Baker Bleu, Suupaa and the Adidas concept store integrate with the street, where people gather and spill out. Suupaa’s award-winning interior by IF Architecture sets the backdrop to this Japanese Konbini and casual dining spot, where workers come to grab a quick bite. To create a spot to eat, the footpath has been widened, and the brick podium is carved into a series of scallops, which turns what was a narrow frontage into a civic forecourt with space for seating and bikes. Lemon-scented gums grow straight out of the ground, softening the edge between building and footpath.
A short walk away at 22 Gordon Street, a corner is sliced away from the building edge, which doubles as a space just off the footpath to linger and sit, while also doubling as the building’s entry. First Love Coffee café is tucked beneath the podium, interfacing with the street through a top-hinged casement window. A north-facing, planted garden bed and seating area bring greenery to the street. Working with our client Monno, the nine-storey commercial building unlocks what was a tricky site and these ground level moves are key to the design.
Bringing old-world hospitality to life, also just a short walk away, is Frederic and Fred’s, found at the base of 9-11 Cremorne Street for Cobild. While the commercial tower above features a modern mesh façade, the ground level embraces the heritage. Here, the original brick building was retained, and restored, giving a grand entrance to the restaurant and bar while maintaining the industrial charm of its context.
Over in Brunswick is 1 Wilson Avenue, a project in collaboration with Milieu and Neometro. The eight-level multi-residential development features a rear laneway and street frontage. To optimise the north-facing light to the apartments, and create a zone for hospitality, we pulled the building back from the boundary. This outdoor terrace allows patrons from the much-loved Iris Bakery to overflow and gather.
Another project with Milieu is 2 St Georges Road, Fitzroy North, which has Lagotto at the ground floor. The Italian restaurant and wine store has an interior designed by Flack Studio. Milieu truly understands the value of getting hospitality right and the whole concept of Lagotto is about neighbourliness and coming together over food. Integrated within the building, additional outdoor seating allows guests to enjoy an afternoon aperitivo catching the last rays of sun.
At one of our earlier projects, 122 Roseneath Street in Clifton Hill, the ground-floor retail was on our radar from the beginning, where generous setbacks at the base create an open undercover space to pass through and pause. Open House operates as a neighbourhood spot of conviviality. Serving coffee and food throughout the day, it transforms into a wine bar in the evening from Thursday to Saturday.
