Melbourne’s Art Deco meets Mediterranean opulence in a new and refined wine bar by global design studio, Buchan.
Bar Alba, located in the city’s eastern suburb of Kew, is the aperitivo to longstanding Italian institution, Centonove, run by devoted restaurateurs Jesse and Kym Davidson for 21 years.
Taking cues from Kew’s renowned interwar architecture, the wine bar channels the old world European charm of Italy’s enoteche while respecting the remnants of its heritage-listed site.
The exterior is iconic to Melbourne with its adjoining blue cobblestone laneway and passing tramline. Built in c. 1925, the historic building first traded as a butchery before it became a chemist. It was later occupied by a pastry maker and more recently operated as a homewares store.
Buchan’s considered treatment of the building’s history is melded with the authentic aesthetics of an Italian bar. The linear, geometric forms of the facade become key features inside. Joinery starts to reference the building's actual lines and the sinuous flow of the time. A decorative copper frame around the main shop window is replicated by gold trimmings internally. Similarly, an original leadlight window with honeycomb detailing inspires the wall joinery inside.
A small brass plaque at the door is a nod to the subtle advertising aesthetic you’d see walking the streets of Italy - albeit in a deco typeface. A metal inlay in the polished concrete floor entrance traces the building’s preserved parapet and brings to life the Bar Alba name.
It’s a place where Centonove diners can come for a glass of wine while they await their dinner reservation across the road, but the Davidsons also see Bar Alba as a destination in itself.
The monolithic bar is the showpiece of the fit-out, stretching nine metres down the right hand side of the narrow space. It’s anchored by the expansive, original 3.6m high timber ceilings. The bar is wrapped in curvaceous, scalloped panelling in rich emerald green and heeled with brass foot rests. Curved walls bring a softness to the design, juxtaposed against the metal details and fluted wainscoting.
The striking Calacatta-style porcelain bar-top is destined to be stamped with red wine rings and drippings of olive oil — because just like Nonna’s table, there’s a joy in letting life live in the material. “We wanted something that felt like it had been there forever; a classic, timeless European-style bar that is very much the kind of place we’d like to sit in Italy,” Kym says. “We want our venues to feel lived in.”
The project celebrates the sharing of fine food and wine. Buchan’s interior design principal Valerie Mack says the design privileges its patrons and staff to work seamlessly throughout its footprint, which is critical in hospitality.
“Design of interior spaces should help to convey a unique personality that connects to both existing and prospective patrons, enhancing the brand experience and supporting both physical and emotional needs,” she says. “It's not merely how a space looks; it’s the all-encompassing sensory experience that comes from the food, the wine and the staff that makes a space successful.”
European Gubi chairs and barstools accommodate 37 pax across three distinct dining heights inside. Different seating spaces provide versatility in the patron’s experience; seating at the bar allows for education and engagement with Bar Alba’s knowledgeable staff, while single tables for two or four provide privacy, intimacy and space to simply enjoy quality wine in good company. There is also seating in the shopfront window to watch in on the theatrics of the outside world.
The regal green leather banquette seating brings fluidity to the space. The walls are punctuated by individual gold sconces, while custom walnut joinery showcases some of Bar Alba’s 400 labels of finest Italian and Australian wines.
Deep sash windows offer glimpses to the illuminated courtyard at the rear, intimately seating 10. The Mediterranean-inspired tiling captures the atmosphere of what you would find in an Italian village, but is comfortable for Melbourne’s climate.
The bathroom tiling is artfully done with inlay feature ‘rugs’, emerald Kit Kat wall tiles and brass finishes, including modern Hollywood mirrors. Sleek lines are arranged and broken up by curved ornamental elements in true Art Deco fashion.
Bar Alba is a pivotal project in Buchan’s portfolio that showcases their expertise in boutique, intimate hospitality settings and is a synthesis of their creative and practical mastery in delivering impact to a space, no matter its size. Although it is one of the studio’s smallest works to date, it is one that is rich in brand expression and authentic user experience.
Bar Alba is located at 132 Cotham Road, Kew.
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
Photography by Tom Blachford
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