While Australia’s lane way phenomenon has been primarily about Melbourne, a small bar has just opened in Brisbane that attempts to put a pair of shoes on the casual barefooted bar culture of the Sunshine State.

Super Whatnot is located in Burnett Lane in the middle of the CBD. Surrounded by alternative EMO youth and hobos salvaging cigarettes it’s the perfect destination for a serious lane way bar. Housed in the loading dock of an abandoned beauty college, it is a place to retreat from the glossy finishes of the shopping frenzy in adjacent streets.

With 4 meter ceiling height the space feels more generous than the 100 m2 footprint and offers three distinct seating options.  A sunken lounge with barn door style window spanning 3 meters and supported by a walking caster wheel, mid-level bar featuring insitue concrete bar top above hexagonal mosaic tiles and a loft verandah of loose outdoor garden furniture amidst lush plant life and assorted curiosities.

Offering a rotating range of craft beers, original cocktails and unique bar food, Super Whatnot might not appeal to your average knee scratcher but that’s precisely the point. Brisbanites can now enjoy the unexpected delights of lane way culture.

Internal walls are existing brickwork with render removed to reveal pitting. The steel window and window reveal is custom made by Nielsen Workshop, with ‘walking’ castor and spring. The steel is sealed with gun oil. The structural steel posts and painted with intumescent paint and wrapped in hessian rope.

The external door is solid core, lined with raw plate steel, sealed with gun oil whilst the internal doors are solid core, painted. Internal floors are existing tounge and groove, mixed with recycled tounge and groove where existing needed to be replaced.

Lights are owner supplied, collected at various European markets and Tarlo and Graham in Melbourne.

The balustrade is custom made by Nielsen workshop from reclaimed cast iron balustrade panels. Signage is custom made perforated raw steel back lit with LED strip lights.