2020 Eat Drink Design Awards: Best Cafe Design

Jury comment

Housed in a nineteenth-century wool store that was previously known as the longtime headquarters of book publisher Lonely Planet in Melbourne’s Footscray, There Cafe makes dramatic yet sensitive use of its heritage location. Executed with impressive restraint by Ewert Leaf, this buzzing inner-west meeting spot is a place where our jury could happily imagine settling in for a long afternoon to drink coffee with friends. Premium finishes share a subtle, uniform colour palette, with steel beams, leather banquettes, polished concrete and industrial light fittings accentuating the soaring, almost floor-to-ceiling windows that draw in waves of natural light. There’s a softness to the design that plays off the grandness of the original building. The rich textures and discoverable layers feel unforced, giving an easy sensibility and sophistication to the venue. While many cafe fitouts can quickly feel dated, There has a patina that will age well into the future.

Design statement

Conceived as a shared meeting place, There Cafe is an uplifting and authentic hospitality proposition harnessed by the strength of its architectural setting. The pared-back interior celebrates the site’s industrial character while softly layering new interventions – an evolution of its historic identity. The site’s grand, cathedral-like windows, raw steel columns and soaring six-metre-high ceilings presented a rich architectural canvas, driving the design team to develop a narrative around restraint, authenticity and time. A reduced palette of honest finishes, including crown-cut oak, antique brass and natural leather, sits in harmony with the site’s raw material profiles. The striking architectural features and lack of direct outlook drove the spatial planning to have an intentionally inward focus. A coffee counter lined with panelled oak leads visitors through to the heart of the lofty warehouse, where leather-lined banquettes sweep the perimeter, addressing an expansive dining area. Thonet bentwood chairs and blackened steel pendants impart a sense of nostalgia and familiarity, while delicately detailed joinery takes its cues from modernist furniture, providing a contemporary counterbalance. The rigid envelope is softened by the sheer linen drapery that sheathes the windows, accentuating the site’s verticality and tempering the abundant natural light.

There Cafe
90 Maribyrnong Street
Footscray, Victoria
there.net.au

Ewert Leaf
Level 3
49-51 Stead Street
South Melbourne, Victoria
ewertleaf.com.au

Project team
Ana Calic, Amy Stuart, Hayley Page.

See the whole gallery of images at the Eat Drink Design Awards website.

The 2020 Eat Drink Design Awards are organized by Architecture Media and supported by supporting partners Chandon Australia, Latitude and Roca.

The Eat Drink Design Awards are endorsed by the Australian Institute of Architects and the Design Institute of Australia.