Photography: Brendan Homan
Australasia’s most ambitious and aspirational venues have been revealed as the winners of the 2018 Eat Drink Design Awards.
Celebrating the exceptional design of hospitality spaces across restaurants, bars, cafes, nightclubs, hotels, retail spaces and temporary installations, the awards exemplify the finest venues that Australia and New Zealand have to offer.
This year, Adelaide’s Sans-Arc Studio has walked away with the much-deserved award for Best Bar Design, for Peel Street venue Malt & Juniper.
If you’ve ever been to Malt & Juniper on Peel Street, you’ll know it’s something special. When it opened earlier this year, we were drawn to its cosy interior, endless wall of spirits, and great nooks to kick back into, while you catch up with friends.
An intimate gin & whisky bar, Malt & Juniper pays homage to classic cocktail bars of yesteryear, is moody, slightly modernist and a bit botanical.
Sans-Arc Studio, who clearly have design running through their veins, nailed the design, and are also responsible for venues including Anchovy Bandit, Small Fry, Vege Threads, Whistle & Flute & BRKYLN.
This is the second time recognition for Best Bar Design has been bestowed upon Sans-Arc Studio, after its iconic Adelaide design, Pink Moon Saloon received the accolade in 2016.
Malt & Juniper is a small Adelaide bar that maximizes a compact space and tight budget through a cohesive vision expressed in considered details. Even as the jury assessed and appreciated the design elements – the rich wood playing off the green marble, the textured concrete, the chamfer on the end of the banquette – it was a compelling feeling that “we want to be there” that made Malt & Juniper such a strong candidate. Though intimate, the space feels convivial and a pleasing interplay of expanse and cosiness is expressed, for example, in the theatre of a sliding bar ladder that creates verticality or the secluded high-backed booths. A sense of welcome is crucial to successful bar design and the jury felt a friendly feel would persist whether the bar was populated or quiet. Overall, the elements join, flow and balance, resolving in a venue of character and presence.'”
Jury citation
Another Adelaide business also took out an award, with this year’s Best Identity Design being awarded to Shobosho by Crafty Design. This modern Japanese restaurant uses fiery visuals to cement its identity as a succulent charcoal-driven kitchen. The use of neon signage in the Adelaide establishment brings the restaurant to life, evoking a simmering
sensory experience and effervescent atmosphere.
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