Our base structure for this fitout was the beautiful heritage listed 1885 Allgas building on Grey St in South Bank, Brisbane.  Being used as many businesses throughout its history our client at Rockpool wished to transform it into Munich Brauhaus – a German beerhouse.

The evolution of the building is recognised through brick types which were relevant to each room addition. We wanted the fitout to highlight the eclectic combination of the bricks to maintain the integrity of the buildings history. Being heritage listed and untouched for so long, the biggest challenge was in complying with Australian Standards. A compliant building was the key priority and this included complying to fire safety regulations. This challenged many (or in some cases even dictated) design choices along the way.

By complimenting the raw brick structure with a more modern industrial look the division between old and new is evident everywhere. Timber from site was repurposed as feature timber walls and all new timbers needed to pass strict compliance rules.  Metal mesh screens were designed as wall features to ensure longevity for both the screen itself but also the heritage walls behind.

Located in one of the busiest areas of Brisbane, the South Bank location is ideal for bringing together both locals and tourists. There is a big emphasis on volume in both ground floor and level 1 – both spaces have an extraordinary volume for a large capacity of patrons. Long dining tables invite patrons to share a dining experience with someone new to bring about Brisbane’s sense of community.

Both bars are on the back walls of both levels, encouraging patrons to see more of the space before having a drink but also allowing for more open floor plan for a larger dining space. With minimal fixed seating, the open floor plan also allows for future flexibility in layout + zoning whilst in keeping with the authentic German beer and dining hall experience.

We wanted something unique and memorable and came up with the idea of bringing the outside in. With high ceilings and beautiful timber trusses we wanted to draw the eye up and started conversations with the builder, lighting designers and the client about bringing in a tree. For health and safety purposes, we knew it had to be artificial and after discussing with the lighting designers they came up with a solution to have it all lit up as the perfect and unexpected hero of the venue. It was a bold design choice but the tree is now the most talked about element within the venue.