BAR STUDIO
An iconic Collingwood building has been revived by BAR Studio to cultivate a creative community hub.
BAR Studio has repurposed a local landmark in the heart of Melbourne’s Collingwood as its new workspace, bringing together a creative roster of tenants to share this engaging community site.
Emblematic of Collingwood’s innovative, independent spirit, the historic warehouse buildings at 47 Easey Street have hosted a changing cast of occupants since they were originally built as wool stores in the 1930s.
From chocolate factory to sandal factory, server farm to a legendary all-night rave venue, and more recently home to Australian street art pioneer Everfresh Studio, community radio station PBS and fashion brand managers Easey Street Group, the site reflects the neighbourhood’s dynamic evolution.
Now BAR Studio has taken stewardship of this local landmark, repurposing the buildings as its new workplace and curating a community of accomplished creatives, makers and designers as co-tenants, fostering a collaborative village in the city’s creative quarter.
CREATIVE EXCHANGE & COMMUNITY
BAR Studio not only wanted to preserve this iconic industrial building but also to give it a new life which contributes to the ongoing evolution of the neighbourhood.
The studio is committed to bringing together a community of creative and culturally engaged tenants – a mix of established Collingwood locals enhancing their presence in the neighbourhood and fresh arrivals from the city and abroad.
BAR Studio’s ground floor workshop provides a space for exploration and collaboration through making. The space aims to support an organic exchange of inspiration, creative initiatives and tangible collaborations between tenants, local designer-makers and fabrication partners.
Design of the 47 Easey Street site facilitates communication and collaboration, and the potential for education programmes, internships, festival activations, exhibitions and events through thoughtfully planned social spaces.
Core to the studio’s vision for this purposeful rejuvenation project is social sustainability, making the building accessible to the public through shared art and design experiences, and contributing to the area’s energetic mix of art galleries, design stores, dining and music venues by fostering a creative global exchange.
Rooted in a strong sense of place, BAR Studio’s response to this storied site crafts an engaging and evolving gathering space that builds on the authentic creative exchange that characterises the neighbourhood.
”Our move to Collingwood is all about stitching ourselves more intrinsically into the fabric of the city we love.”
– Felicity Beck, BAR Studio Co-Founder
Adaptive Reuse & Sustainability
With the historic shell of the old Collingwood warehouse restored and its interior amenities brought up to date, 47 Easey Street stands as an exemplar of adaptive architectural reuse and green building practice.
The studio was passionate about retaining the spirit of the building, while converting it into highly functional offices optimised for sustainable operational efficiency.
Firstly, BAR Studio engaged local sustainability consultants HIP V. HYPE to guide the sustainability strategy for the project, before appointing repurposing-focussed contractor Revival Projects to deliver the build. Existing materials from the site, including bricks, timber, concrete, metal and hardware, were respectfully salvaged and reused. Some challenges presented by the building – like the condemned 100-year-old original timber columns – created opportunities to reinvent them into entirely new pieces of furniture, giving them a new life.
Occupying the building sustainably was a strong driver for the project. The fully insulated shell, including thermal windows and rooftop solar panels with battery storage for the generated power, facilitate minimal draw on grid-sourced green power. A smart system monitors and manages energy use. A solar-powered Tesla passenger lift, two electric car charging stations, 18 bike parking racks and proximity to public transport encourage sustainable occupancy. Rainwater collection supplies toilets and irrigation. Embracing natural light and ventilation, the design includes operable windows, a lightwell courtyard, a deck, trees, garden spaces, a walkway and views, promoting wellbeing and a connection to the outdoors.
Reuse flows into the interior design too, with items accumulated from BAR’s first two Melbourne studios worked into the scheme, alongside new furniture from Stellar Works and custom fixtures from KLS Lighting, both regular collaborators.
Tenants Directory
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Developer, Designer & Anchor Tenant
BAR Studio is a Melbourne grown international hospitality design firm, behind award-winning luxury hotels and resorts. The founders, Felicity Beck and Stewart Robertson, have restored the historic warehouse at 47 Easey Street, Collingwood as the team’s new studio – an exemplar of adaptive reuse and green building practices. The local landmark now brings together a creative community of artistic tenants that will foster a collaborative village and form a new contemporary cultural hub, consisting of publicly facing galleries and creative studios. -
Agency Projects is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander-governed not-for-profit organisation,
celebrating Indigenous voices and Indigenous-led projects in the arts, cultural and environmental
sectors. The organisation promotes Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, culture and people
on the national and international scale.
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Sarah Scout Presents is a contemporary art gallery, established in 2009 to support a range of outstanding artists with critically engaged and conceptually driven art practices. Representing some of Australia’s leading artists including Tony Garifalakis, Claire Lambe, Sally Smart and Christian Thompson AO, the gallery will present a rigorous annual exhibition program in its new premises at 47 Easey Street.
www.sarahscoutpresents.com -
A new collectable design gallery and hub for the public to discover, learn about and purchase works by influential contemporary makers.
www.usefulobjects.com.au -
Founded in Amsterdam in 2019 by executive producers Rachel Perry and Ezra Xenos, Whale is Europe’s premium creative production agency. Known for its world-class work for brands, including adidas, Diageo, McLaren, Montblanc, Netflix, Nike, Polaroid, Samsung, Turkish Airlines, AJet, and WeTransfer, the move to 47 Easey St marks the agency’s opening of the APAC office.
whale.amsterdam -
Danielle Brustman is an awarded interior designer and the recipient of the 2018 Rigg Design Prize. Danielle’s work encompasses a broad spectrum of design practice across residential interior design and commercial design for the education, hospitality and retail sectors along with commissions for bespoke furniture, objects, lighting and installations.
www.daniellebrustman.com