Whether you interpret the Prahran Hotel’s new façade as an extension of the pub’s Streamline Moderne origins or a quirky take on a stack of over-sized beer kegs, Sand Hill Road has proven again that bold architecture can sit comfortably within a traditional pub environment.

Following five successful creative collaborations including the iconic Bridge Hotel, Sand Hill Road engaged renowned hospitality specialists Techné Architects to reinvigorate the iconic 1940s pub located on the corner of High Street and Upton Road, Prahran in Melbourne’s inner-south.

Through its work with Techné Architects, Sand Hill Road has gained a reputation for reinvigorating sites with interesting and dynamic designs, whilst keeping true to the ideals of a local pub and the Prahran Hotel continues this story.

Following a minor refurbishment in 2010, Sand Hill Road provided Techné Architects director, Justin Northrop with two distinct design briefs; the first, to deliver a safe, achievable design and the second, to deliver something outlandish and never before seen in an Australian pub. The latter was given the green light.

“15 years ago the Prahran Hotel was one of Melbourne’s first gastro pubs – restaurant quality food in a pub environment, and the first time an interior designer had been let loose in a traditional hotel. We lived round the corner at the time. We saw a flash of brilliance then and recognised its potential,” says Matt Mullins of Sand Hill Road.

The key feature of the revitalised 750 square metre pub is the extraordinary wall of 17 over-sized concrete pipes stacked to the skyline, inviting the eye from the street-front through to the interior with a selection being reserved for booth seating for two, six or 12 people.

“When you attempt something as unusual as this, you look for other projects around the world that have done it before so you can learn engineering and construction techniques. We couldn’t find any so there was an added complexity in developing the construction methodology. This is all very worthwhile though as the pipe façade is really the defining feature of the pub,” says Northrop.

Whilst the exterior of the pub is a key talking point, Techné’s focus was to work within the existing footprint of the 500 square metre site, creating a design centred around the public bar, or the ‘heart’ of the pub, rather than the façade itself.

“The façade provided an opportunity for us to acknowledge the classic streamline features throughout the original pub but we were very conscious of not designing the pub around the façade. A pub’s success is determined by how it operates within, rather than how it looks on the outside,” continues Northrop.

The Prahran Hotel’s façade experience is unique in that it is the same whether you are inside or outside the pub. Double glazed steel framed windows face Upton Road so passersby can easily see into the venue and immediately engage with the pub. Taking this a step further, the façade isn’t just a wall to be looked at – this façade contains booths and walkways that enable patrons to actually sit within it, to interact physically with the edifice itself.

Mullins believes voyeurism is an essential ingredient to delivering a great venue. “A pub can be quite theatrical, a bit like a show and some people want to be in the show, others want to watch it. So parts of the Prahran Hotel are the stage where you’re at the centre of the action, while other parts are the stalls, where you can sit quietly, in intimacy, and watch the show go on around you.”

The revitalisation includes an outdoor courtyard adjacent to a five metre-long bar made from recycled coloured steel pipes and collapsible tables that give way to a dance floor on weekends. The pub is served by three bars and a function room with views across the courtyard and accessed by a steel gantry that connects patrons through the various spaces, including the very top level that features a private room and balcony for functions with its own bar.

Sand Hill Road focused on creating as much outdoor space as possible for its patrons, while also blurring the lines between outside and in. “One of the things we particularly loved about Techné Architects’ design for the Bridge Hotel was the laneway – we aim to maximise our interface between inside and out, where the line that connects the two is as long as possible, and as blurred as it can be. We always try to create a collection of smaller spaces that connect with each other to give a sense of intimacy, as well as a circulation loop so there’s never a dead end. We think we’ve successfully continued this story at the Prahran Hotel,” says Mullins.

The focal point of the pub’s outdoor area is a beautiful five-metre tall Chinese elm tree set against the backdrop of a nine-metre tall pre-cast concrete wall with feature port holes and custom-design corrugation. Lush planter boxes will be nestled in the circular portholes to create cascading foliage.

Northrop believes lighting and sound are important considerations for hospitality spaces and can effectively make or break the ambience of a venue. “We were very conscious of ensuring the lighting complements the robust concrete façade and raw materials used throughout, as well as serving a number of purposes from private functions through to the dance floor.

“Together we developed the design with consideration to the neighbours when it comes to noise. The Prahran Hotel’s courtyard has been relocated away from the adjacent residences and it is surrounded by a two storey tall structure to ensure sound continues to travel straight up through the building minimising acoustic pollution,” added Northrop.

Commenting on the client/architect relationship, Mullins says, “We’ve known Justin for about 20 years and we always said that if we could ever afford an architect, it would be Techné. Our first project together was the Richmond Club Hotel in Richmond and we have done about 13 projects together since, including all of our own homes.

“We know we impose a lot of restrictions on the Techné team, especially being able to fulfill our dream design on a budget but they have not yet failed to impress us with their bold and innovative designs and we think the Prahran Hotel is our best collaboration yet.”

RTR Productions designed and installed the audio system including 2 x QSC ADS282H speakers in the DJ area along with a Martinblackline S18 subwoofer.

These are powered off a QSC GX7 for the 282H speakers running 800watts to each speaker and a QSC RMX2450 bridge running 2400watts into the subwoofer.

There are also 5 x QSC ADS52H speakers placed around the outdoor area including the courtyard for additional sound filling. Delays from these speakers have been set up so the sound is in line/time with the front of house sound. They are powered off a QSC CX204, 4 channel power amp at 4 x 200watts.

An Allen and Heath IDR-8 16 x 16 Matrix mixer takes care of all the audio processing, which has two separate control interfaces for the bar staff to have control over the entire system. RTR spent considerable time and effort into making the audio system flow evenly throughout the new area, so that at where ever you’re standing in the venue, the sound will arrive evenly and cleanly.

RTR Productions also fitted additional QSC ADS52H speakers into the upstairs courtyard.