Village Belle Hotel | TILT Industrial Design

Landmark St Kilda pub, the Village Belle Hotel, has been reborn through a complete reimagining by Techne Architecture + Design.

The design contrasts a contemporary beer garden, enclosed in fully operable glazing and robust steel framing, with a restoration of the original Victorian elements of the hotel.

Techne collaborated with Industrial Design firm TILT to produce a custom 200-square-metre glass operable roof for the historic pub. The huge roof draws ample natural light into the beer garden, while enabling climate control throughout changing weather and seasons.

TILT’s design greatly increased the headroom clearance possible in large, open areas of the garden. This could only be achieved through custom design, by decreasing the roof’s pitch below that of an off-the-shelf product.

Techne director Nick Travers says the space can be left open as an entirely outdoor space in good weather, and closed when the weather’s not so great.

“It's the perfect all-weather space that can be tuned to hot or cold weather, sunshine or rain,” says Travers.

By contrast, the Village Belle’s public bar, a wedge-shaped room in the corner of the building, looks to the traditional aspects of an old-fashioned front bar. Albeit, the space was redesigned to meet the demands of the contemporary hospitality industry.

Internally, there is much variation between rooms and a flow is established between the front bar and – upstairs – function rooms, lounge bar areas and a large external balcony.

TILT and Techne have retained the heritage building’s character, meanwhile creating a contemporary addition with climatic control that ensures the comfort of patrons.