Project Team

design: Techne Architects
av: RTR Productions

Suppliers

lighting: Ism Lighting
outdoor stools: Corporate Culture
fabrics: Warwick
carpet: Edwardstown

Photography: Shannon McGrath

The Prahran Hotel re-opens its doors as an old school pub with new school philosophies – inviting you to pull up a stool to the reinstated ‘local’.

Following its closure in October 2010, new owners, the Sand Hill Road boys (Doug Maskiell, Andy & Matt Mullins and Tom Birch) alongside Techne Architects instigated an extensive six month renovation. The result is a feminine, contemporary yet elegant fit out with a decidedly art deco feel.

A large front bar welcomes patrons to an inviting and traditional ‘public house’ layout. The feeling is one of immediate familiarity. Modern stools clustered around bar tables provide a contemporary and welcoming space for an after work drink, a quiet tipple with a friend or a Saturday afternoon celebration.

The footprint is large, but with well-considered spaces that lend a feeling of intimacy. The large vestibule adorned with intricate wall furnishings leads to a contrasted space on the second level complete with a bar that gives ’30s design a modern twist. Ideal for private functions, upstairs is best described as the ‘speakeasy’ environment complete with smaller nooks and crannies for ‘tight talking’.

The re-design of the Prahran Hotel takes the history and character of the heritage listed building and pulls this historic appeal into a new era. Patrons are still greeted by the grand scale of the old front bar, yet the room has been broken down into new divisions of space.

Nudie Slim

Sparkling wire frames in Gold, Silver or Black Zinc the Nudie Pendant casts evocative shadows from its traditional form with contemporary twist inspired by Japanese Lanterns. This product can be custom ordered in other powdercoat colours.

Ism Lighting

Partition elements and level changes create more relaxed furnished
areas, while transparency and scale connect each setting back to the overall hierarchy of space.

This story evolves throughout the whole hotel, from sunken dining booths, to screened off lounge areas, the planning of the renovation strives to give intimacy and comfort back to each of the spaces. The outdoor courtyard has been re-activated by creating an adjacent indoor garden that extends the open areas of the venue for the warmer months. Upstairs, an extensive new bar fronts on to a number of refurbished rooms, designed to have the flexibility of catering for small groups, be divided for private functions, or completely opened up for the flow of a larger crowd.

The original setting was steeped in the smooth lines of the early 20th century Moderne design, an architectural era which fused new Modern ideas with the traditional. The new design builds further on this premise, revering in the established aesthetics and allowing them to infuse the layers of new additions. Inspiration came from the then
futuristic notions of travel and discovery, with reference to the speed of new engineering, and the luxury of their associated leisure. Silky streamlined curves melt into ornate patterns, screens and plush furnishings, harking back to the grand dining rooms and cocktail lounges of the steam‐liner and railway age.

However the greatest measure of success for this design was its ability to meet the social aspirations of the client. Their investment in the Prahran Hotel was always based on a desire to give the venue back to the neighbourhood, and this entailed creating a space for all locals to inhabit, where everybody felt comfortable. The spaces are
accessible, inviting, and casual enough to do just that. As the owners will tell you, it’s still a pub. It keeps all the sentiment associated with a local venue, but spatially it creates an exceptional and functional Hotel with the right atmosphere of relaxed comfort.

With a planning approval recently being issued, the hotel will soon undergo further renovation. An internal light court will be added to the second level, giving outdoor space and natural light to the adjacent spaces.

RTR Productions took care of the audio requirements utilizing the existing audio on the ground floor. The first floor is divided into four zones: the lounge with three QSC S52 speakers, bar with four QSC S52 speakers, DJ/Dancefloor  with two QSC S82H and one Quest 15” sub and a terrace with two QSC S52 speakers. The top floor has five QSC S32 speakers.

Processing is done via an Allen&Heath IDR8 digital processor, an Allen&Heath PL10 controller (first floor), and an Allen&Heath PL4 controller (top floor).

Amplification is via QSC amps: one QSC RMX5050, two QSC RMX1450 and two QSC CX204V.