Project Team

Design: Ergo Architecture

Suppliers

water: Vestal

Located at One Shelley St in Sydney’s King Street Wharf precinct, Vessel offers a café, bar and dining experience as well as being ideally placed for functions. Owned by the Vardis Group, Vessel also boasts a coveted 6 Green Star Rating.

A competition for Vessel’s design tender was held in the form of a presentation to Macquarie Group against other design firms. Ergo Architecture & Interiors was awarded the project in April 2009. The brief was to accommodate a café, bar and restaurant. Ergo then formulated a concept based on site location, irregular floor plan and targeted clientele.

These irregular internal spaces and footprint allowed for a unique design with each of the three spaces designed individually. However linking elements were used throughout with comprehensive consideration of services and the function of the spaces. The concept was then revisited and the aesthetics and function were merged as one.

The element that really ties the concept together is the floorscape which follows the fluidity of the ceiling and wall in a curvilinear motion linking the spaces. This is reinforced by the timber slatted ceiling, emulating motion of sea as it merges with the rear curvilinear wall linking the three spaces (café, bar and restaurant). The ceiling space is exposed services reinforcing a ‘machine-like’ response to nautical/industrial design.

Lemon Chair

The Lemon chair has a resin shell with a chrome base.
Stackable and space saving.

B Seated Global

Peace of Mind designed, supplied and installed the audio visual requirements for Vessel including JBL Control 29AV, JBL Control 25AV and JBL Control 26CT speakers powered by Crown XTi2000 and Crown CDi1000 amplifiers.

Processing and control is by Biamp Nexia and the vision comprises of Panasonic Plasmas.

The AV requirement entailed the provision of a high quality audio system with flexibility to cater for controlled background music during business hours when the venue functions as a restaurant and cafe servicing the surround offices as well as the more demanding bar application outside of business hours.

Design inspiration was taken from wharf imagery; both in architecture and materials used. Think man-made objects which have been immersed in the ocean for long periods of time; eroded materials, exposed fixtures and fittings, shipwrecks with their treasures.

Nautical architectural elements which are prevalent in Sydney Harbour’s history were used for the back timber louvered wall in the café. This rigid backdrop contrasts with the curvilinear form of the café pod.

Features include the raw zinc clad bar contrasts with the “jewel-like
treasure” beaded backdrop bottle display at the bar. The café pod (kitchen and server in café) relies on the imagery generated by a man made object or machine which has been immersed in the ocean for a long time. The steelwork fabrication and installation methods throughout are exposed and raw and as though they are from a shipwright workshop.

The primary role of the lighting is to compliment the unique palette of finishes and textures.However, each space contains its own distinctive decorative lighting to distinguish its own individuality.

JBL Control 26CT

The Control 26CT is a powerhouse ceiling speaker containing a coaxially mounted 6.5″ woofer and 3/4″ titanium-coated tweeter, able to deliver maximum sound level over a wide coverage area.

Jands


Four audio zones allow varying volume levels and multiple source selection throughout the venue. Audio and Video patch points provide future functionality for expansion and events such as the upcoming World Cup as well as external DJ’s.

The AV design required detailed planning in order to meet with the aesthetic requirements and compliance associated with the architectural nature of the base building. This included the requirement to conceal directional speakers and position speakers a away from the perimeter while achieving coverage outside at certain times.