2012 Gallery

With its pared back aesthetic and respectful handling of the existing architecture, The Apollo represents a welcome direction in Australasian hospitality design where the offer of food and drink is made without elaborate guise or spectacle. Recognising the good ‘bones’ of the architectural shell, the designer selectively and incrementally removed extraneous layers, to reveal the inherently strong structural, spatial and luminous qualities of the 1930's building. These have been amplified with an inspired equilibrium between rawness and repair. Dusky stripped back surfaces, with their palimpsest of wear and use, harmonise with a subtle colour and textual palette of new natural materials. Introduced elements are handled with robustness, and cognisance of dining traditions, so that, like the modern Greek food and wine of the menu, the dining experience is familiar culturally, yet potent and contemporary. This is the 21st century version of ‘Less is more’, where clarity of purpose and sensitivity to site work to inspired effect.