Rockpool Perth
APPROX. BUDGET:
$4 million
STATUS:
Completed 2010
CLIENT:
Neil Perry
Director, Rockpool
−(1:1 Architects in association with Grant Cheyne) The Rockpool Bar & Grill concept is founded on two main precedents; the grand, historic brasseries of Paris and the classic North American steakhouse.
−Arriving on site in Perth, on a sunny, summer day, it was fairly obvious to both Neil Perry and the design team that the dark surfaces of Melbourne and the formality of Sydney, would feel out of place. Consequently a view was formed that the Perth restaurant would be different to it’s two predecessors in the eastern states. It would be lighter and softer. Relaxed.
−Guests enter via a long and tranquil passage in order to prepare for a complete change of scene. This space is inspired by a candle-lit, stone cellar of a European Chateau – a space well suited to the storage and preservation of wine and provisions, which form the cornerstone of this particular restaurant concept. To compliment this, glimpses into the wine cellars and meat aging cellars are evident. As in all the spaces, the custom lighting scheme reinforces the architecture.
−The dining room for 250 is designed to generate both the excitement and theatre of great precedents such as Le Dome or La Coupole in Paris. Conversely, to one side of the dining room, a carpeted section with a lowered ceiling provides a series of intimate dining lounges.
−The open kitchen with it’s signature, wood fired grill, is positioned in the centre of the space and the full team of chefs are seen at work. The entire side of the long room is devoted to the preparation of food and beverages and forms a lively backdrop for the dining experience. Unifying the preparation kitchen is a symbolic, lacquered aluminium bulkhead, like the traditional hood over a hearth.