Circa, the Prince has long been one of Melbourne’s great dining institutions. Opening this month after a major refurbishment, Circa has a new sense of laid-back luxury; where a relaxed, convivial aesthetic interplays with a versatile use of space, offering more drinking and dining options.
“We’ve turned the restaurant inside out to deconstruct the dining experience,” explains owner John van Haandel. “But it’s more than just a refurb - it’s evolution. The next exciting chapter, if you like.”
A more versatile use of space offers a variety of dining and entertaining options, without losing the laid-back luxury that was so loved of the original Circa.
“As with The Prince hotel, Circa’s new interior is the result of a collaboration between John van Haandal, local furniture designers, retailers, artists and stylists including Gloss Creative, Format, Comer & King, Native, Joost Bakker and Dale Frank. We’ve created a warm, textured palette that’s modern, relaxed and fresh – it’s very much an environment to soothe and stimulate the senses,” continues John.
Past the new reception, a timber communal table lined with stools runs the length of the bar – perfect for wine, conversation and grazing.
This relaxed, convivial atmosphere extends into the courtyard, now a light-filled space flanked with a verdant herb garden and views into the Circa kitchen.
The majority of Circa’s dining takes place here.
The original restaurant is dramatically different and now divides into three private dining rooms, each opening onto the balcony overlooking leafy Fitzroy Street and the bay beyond. Frosted glass doors can extend or fold back to create a versatile space for dinners, events and functions. Striking Bedouin fabric panels from John’s travels across North Africa distinguish one private room from another. A mix of plush dark grey alpaca velvet, Belgian linens in shades of grey, Scottish hounds-tooth wool and Sanderson yellow floral bring new life to classic Thonet chairs, ottomans and banquettes. banquettes.
Upstairs, bordering The Prince’s rooftop deck, you’ll find the new kitchen garden – a passion of Wilkinson’s and the Circa team. The garden design idea is not unlike library shelves. Vertically stacked and tiered plant boxes are sunlit and watered by the water collected from The Prince rooftop. The result is a compact garden that’s also kind to the environment and provides fresh produce.
Richard Hallam of YSI Professional System Design and Integration upgraded the Circa’s audio system to provide six exclusive zones: Zone 1 - Main Dining, Zone 2 - Olive Room Dining, Zone 3 - Restaurant Foyer & Bar, Zones 4, 5, & 6 - Private Rooms fitted with Turbosound Impact series wall-mounted loudspeakers and subs for functions. There are ffacilities for different music program in each room and wireless microphones addressable to all or selected rooms. The rooms can be combined to provide one space if required.
The Circa has had some additional space added including the new main restaurant which used to be a courtyard and subsequently did not have suitable loudspeakers.
A Bose Freespace was incorporated with the sub-bass sunk into a wall 3.5-4.00m off the ground. Four Bose Cubes were installed in a glass and metal canopy above the diners and the sound directed around the space.
According to Richard, the sound is even and has good depth, in addition it is hard to pick where the sound is coming from.
To tie the Circa to the main hotel entrance lobby, an audio feed is sent to the sound sytem in the hotel lobby from whatever music programme is being played at Circa. This provides some consistency in music throughout the space.