All Photography by Peggy Voir
Behind the Design
Busselton Pavilion was our client’s first foray into the regional hospitality scene in WA. The site, once more familiar as the local “Target Country” store, was part of the local shopping centre that was undergoing a major refurbishment close to the primary axis of the Town Centre – Queen Street. Although the new venue was 700m away from the famous Busselton Jetty, being 230km away from the hustling food and beverage scene and familiarity of the client’s venues in the Perth inner city; the project was an exciting, new endeavour.
The challenge of establishing a large venue capable of serving 500 thirsty visitors in a regional destination started with a narrative. There was a long line of historic venues that had come and gone, and more recently a limited amount of come-as-you-are offerings and “big good pubs” in the South West. This carved a design brief that encapsulated a tavern, local wine store, beer garden, generous kitchen and an operational boutique distillery. The venue needed to operate efficiently for big crowds over peak periods being a popular tourist destination (the annual ironman competition, school holiday periods and for overseas visitors flying into the nearby airport), as well as bring a characterful, comfortable offering during the week, year round for the odd 40000+ local residents residing in Busselton and nearby surrounds.
Recurring memories and stories of the calming oceans and Geographe Bay; early morning fishing, sailing, the annual jetty swim, and local nostalgia resonated with the client and design team, and began to weave a visual narrative. We began to imagine how we could transform an old steel warehouse, currently home to a small local pigeon family, into a blending of comfortable, cosy spaces that could offer so many things to all who found it.
Scale was addressed with the introduction of a mezzanine, to both contain the kitchen, a private dining space, and elevate the southern volume of the venue for offices and a mezzanine dining space, overlooking the venue.
Materiality was an integral design gesture that is used thoughtfully within the space. The palette consists of simple, yet expressive materials such as painted brickwork, glass blocks, and warm blackbutt timber veneers. Each glimpse as you sip, eat and wander encourages the visitor’s memory to reach to memories of holidaying in the southwest. Colourful patchwork vinyl flooring, bold reclaimed and textured tiles in dining areas and bathrooms you would expect to see in your grandparents’ holiday home, with a scattering of vintage enamel lights, swooping historic racing sails and thoughtfully captured photos line the open volume and existing concrete walls.
Connectivity between the spaces was balanced with unobtrusive lighting and decorated room dividers, allowing the venue to expand and contract through different service periods. This provided flexible zones for furniture to overlap and be shifted depending on the day of the week, functions, tastings or the patrons needs. Be it the local footy club’s windup, an intimate tasting with a local winemaker, a masterclass on gin and foraged samphire, or a midweek family roast chicken pub meal on the deck. All glimpses and moments are designed for within the ethos of Busselton Pavilion. The key was to peel back the layers of the interiors by introducing moments of solid, grounded, functional elements, and balance this with patina (and a touch of kitsch décor that brings the odd chuckle).
The clash of decades with a contemporary, lounge room offering that drive that feeling in the back of your mind like the Pavilion has been there all along, waiting for you. You just hadn’t walked past the strangely familiar set of old peppermint trees and under the old archway, and been swept up into the moment just yet.
Hospitality design is always a challenging project when considering sustainability and the lifespan of interiors. We find early conversations with the client, project team and contractors to discuss its importance and bring them along the journey important. We give a damn about considerations for our future and planet, and see it as a vital part of our role as designers. We implemented a number of considerations in alignment with Shaw’s premise for their sustainability philosophy.
Material health – Whilst we prefer a less is more approach to flooring to reduce emissions, the key for us was implementing finishes where they provide visual impact, acoustics and longevity for maintenance. Sourcing Shaw’s LVT and using new vinyls that are produced safely are important. We also considered other products including stainless steel, removing silica products such as engineered stone and opting for porcelain tiles, glass blocks, baux woodwall, blackbutt timber veneer, locally made bricks, or opting no finish at all or a light touch (paint or seal to existing materials got food health and safety).
Circular economy – adaptive re-use was a great start for our design, re-purposing the majority of the existing building and intertwining this with a number of reclaimed products including lighting that was rewired and programmed to suit the venue’s operational needs. Old tiles found in one our design team’s Fremantle home were used as a feature in the bathrooms, and brought a unique retro feel to compliment the space.
We ensure the majority of the products used in the venue can be repurposed, adapted, or re-used by the client, or passed on to future operators in their venues to achieve a second, third fourth life before they meet their maker, or recycled.
Diversity, equity and inclusion – First and foremost, a local venue like Busselton Pavilion will need to be heroed by the locals for it to thrive. Regional contractors including local painters, product suppliers and installers were all sourced to not only meet the cost considerations and timeline of the project, but reduce carbon impact. Support from the local authorities, community and hiring of local hospitality have and will continue to be impactful to the success of the project.
Carbon impact – low carbon offset materials are a vital element to the sustainability conversation. Low impact materials such as timber were used through the venue, with a focus on re-usable, local materials and products made well being a key to long lasting hospitality interiors. These devices need to be able to accommodate future changes in operation, functionality and the needs of the operator, staff and patrons. Robust, local furniture was sourced where possible, high quality joinery, metalwork and trades, as well as products used through the life of the build that were considered for longevity, wear and practicality. The client’s ethos to hero local suppliers and producers for their food and drink continues after our involvement, which is a strong story and connection to country and further connecting to the local region.
Featured Collections
Compound + Cast LVT Collection: Featuring Compound 2.5mm
Compound + Cast aesthetics are a soothing, unassuming fit, delivering a classic aesthetic. Compound showcases subtle beauty marks that mimic the look of concrete, and Cast is a curious play of aggregate materials. Both styles offered in 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm thicknesses.
Compound + Cast LVT Collection: Featuring Compound 2.5mm
Compound + Cast aesthetics are a soothing, unassuming fit, delivering a classic aesthetic. Compound showcases subtle beauty marks that mimic the look of concrete, and Cast is a curious play of aggregate materials. Both styles offered in 2.5 mm and 5.0 mm thicknesses.