2018 Gallery
Winner: Best Cafe Design
Ritz & Ghougassian for Bentwood Cafe
237 Napier Street,
Fitzroy, Victoria
Bentwood is a 190-square-metre eatery at 237 Napier Street, Fitzroy, Australia. The project pays homage to the site's historic archetype as a furniture workshop and later as the Thonet showroom. The palette of red brick and primed steal was informed by the original heritage facade and surrounding streetscape.
Jury Citation
There is so much in this project to like. The jury appreciates the way the design is a response to the space, first and foremost, embracing the heritage of the building with sensitivity and giving it new life, without being beholden to trends. Detaching the new entity from the shell creates tension and interest, while the tones, textures and layers are embracing and soothing.
The raw materiality of the brickwork harmonizes with the rich leather tones, bringing a sense of richness and comfort, along with little surges of curiosity. Linking indoors with outside adds to the considered, holistic feel and helps anchor the cafe. There's a lovely balance of the gridded and structured, the soft and giving, the comforting and surprising. In all, it feels like a place you'd want to be.
