Market Grounds is the first hospitality destination, to link the Perth CBD to Northbridge, in the newly developed Kings Square. Woods Bagot associate principal Eva Sue was lead designer on the project, which covers a staggering 1000sqm across three levels.
Q: What was the overall brief of Market Grounds?
A: To create a hospitality concept and design that offers a light hearted, relaxed and vibrant destination at the heart of Perth’s Kings Square precinct.
The concept was to celebrate and combine Perth’s food and beverage culture with our outdoor lifestyle and provide a creative and authentic response to the site and location. The overarching concept was to integrate with the public realm and create a lush garden oasis, with a sense of retreat within the harsh CBD environment. The interior concept was to seamlessly transform from a day to evening ambiance, with prioritised connectivity to the alfresco zones.
Q: Describe the different aesthetics within Market Grounds.
A: Paying homage to the original Perth Market Grounds, which were located on our site, the venue is made up of a collection of eclectic spaces which present different dining and bar experiences.
The main bar has the spirit of a traditional pub with a prominent front bar, bar style seating and leather booths. The bar is constructed of black brick and features a bronze footrest and solid blackbutt timber top. A sweeping timber bulkhead with cascading greenery, hovers over the bar to create a sense of intimacy and sets the scene for the lush garden theme.
The back bar is adorned with an eclectic curation of vintage found and collected objects, while the ground floor restaurant is an airy and light filled garden themed space, featuring ‘avocado green’ wicker chairs.
The Grounds beer garden features handmade furniture built from locally sourced reclaimed timber and antique Victorian park benches, amongst fruit trees and market herbs. The Grounds is located under a canopy of mature park trees and festoon lights, giving a distinct garden and festive feel.
The Sunken Lounge has sumptuous and sculpted velvet booths and studded chesterfield leather banquette lounges, that provide a more intimate setting. Low level table lamps and a granite fire pit complete this decadent setting.
The (upstairs) Mercado Bar features sweeping views across Kings Square, the CBD and Northbridge. The timber framed market style bar is clad in timber planks finished in the Market Grounds signature blue paint. The sinuous forms continue to the upstairs bar to create intimate lounge settings, enhanced with textured timber walls and moody light effects.
Q: How does lighting play a strong role in the design?
A: Specialist lighting design is a major feature contributing to the overall ambiance and scene setting for the collection of intimate spaces within the large volume. Working in collaboration with WGE (Wood and Grieve Engineers), we designed a hierarchy of task, ambient and feature lighting throughout the venue, to ensure considered light levels are achieved for all times of the day, for each of the zones. Lighting has been used to highlight feature ceilings and textured wall finishes. Woods Bagot designed a custom ‘suite’ of light fittings for Market Grounds, which include the chandelier collars around two significant columns, two types of wall lamps and deck mounted lamps and an oversized metal mesh lamp shade. The suite of light fittings are united by their aged bronze finish, disc forms and spherical opal shades.
Q: Favourite design elements?
A: The personalised and crafted quality that we executed throughout the design. From the hand-woven furniture to the hand-picked collection of vintage objects, bespoke wallpaper (influenced by the WA flora and fauna), handmade furniture from locally reclaimed timber, incorporation of street art and the considered planting concept internally and externally, this level of detail and artistic collaboration reflects the authenticity, originality and quality of the project and venue.
Creative collaborators for commissioned work:
Bespoke wall paper design by Liz Casella http://www.lizcasella.com/studio
Custom alfresco furniture by Handwerks http://www.handwerk.com.au
Street art in the GF toilets by Daek Williamshttp://www.daekwilliam.com.au
Gardens from Eden/Plantscaping in the interior and alfresco by Colin Barlow http://www.gardensfromeden.com/
Contacts
Woods Bagot http://www.woodsbagot.com
Market Grounds http://www.marketgrounds.com.au