The site is located within an existing established wholesale fruit and vegetable market, which gives it proximity to very fresh produce.

The ambience sought was one of a casual eatery harking back to Asian street hawkers – in particular the Peranakan style cafes, found in Singapore.

The project required a Development Approval - change of use application with local council.

A central wait station and planter was designed to delineate the entry and ordering area for the café as well as to provide a place to store cutlery, menus and order forms for patrons. Around this, various eating zones were created including banquet seating, café tables, high bar seating in the window and a large communal dining table.

Elements such as the distressed suspended timber louvers, hand painted decorative tiles, the custom stenciled motif applied to the polished concrete floor, detailed window graphics and the metal gate screen are all contemporary interpretations of details found within traditional Peranakan cafes.

Various materials were used in the design to create texture and pattern layering in the space. The café logo and branding is monochromatic but a multi-colour feature was applied to give the space a sense of the vibrancy and repetition of pattern found within traditional Peranakan style cafes.

The elements that the designers believe really ties the concept together are the strong re-branding and graphic elements, together with the repetition of detail, shape and colour applied across the interior.

As the design includes an industrial element, the track and spot lighting is applied directly to the exposed concrete ceiling, highlighting the distressed timber louvers. A cluster of copper pendants above the communal table are a contemporary take on the traditional asian lantern form.

The application of a standard expanding metal security gate, typically used to secure every-day shops, has been reinterpreted into a unique and decorative feature screen, making a simple object an architectural feature.

The re-branding of Ah Mei Café, from the existing logo which is currently used at the Ah Mei Cafés in Jakarta and Singapore, was something that the designers felt was imperative to establishing Ah Mei Café in the Australian market. The new logo and branding is contemporary, fun and sends the right message about the style of casual Asian eatery that Ah Mei Café represents.

Sound Advice installed 4 x Bose Freespace 3 Flush mount speakers,
2 x Bose Freespace 3 Surface mount Speakerss and a Bose Freespace 3 Subwoofer Surface mount, all powered by a Redback 125w 100v line amplifier.