Charcoal Lane is a commercial restaurant as well
as a training facility which provides the opportunity
for Aboriginal and disadvantaged young people to
transform their lives through the aquisition of valuable
skills and positive engagement with the wider
Melbourne community.

Given the historic and cultural importance of this
building, Tandem engaged in an active and thorough
consultation program. Tandem worked with Mission
Australia, the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and
Aboriginal Affairs Victoria as the key stakeholders
and end users, as well as with various Victorian
Aboriginal artists and artisans who produced various
works for the building.

Tandem also worked with the wider context of
the building to create a high quality space which
responds to the local context of restaurants and
galleries as well as making connections with local
indigenous culture.

The simple black and white base palette used in
the building allows for the insertion of artworks and
crafts, as well as clearly revealing the heritage of the
building itself. The use of natural materials such as
timber and bamboo brings warmth to the space. All
of these materials were selected from sustainabile
sources and are expressed clearly in the design.

Photographs: Sonia Mangiapane