2023 Gallery
Winner: Best Restaurant Design
Smart Design Studio for Beau & Dough
52 Reservoir Street
Surry Hills, NSW
Beau Bar and Dough Bakery are nestled within an inner-city laneway in Surry Hills. Both spaces are anchored by plinth-like joinery items, serving as bar & kitchen. The venues, however, contrast in mood. Harmony is achieved through a sophisticated material palette, meticulous details and thoughtful compositions of joinery and furniture.
Jury Citation
Designing for two separate yet interconnected venues is a challenge that is beautifully resolved at Beau and Dough. Beau displays the typical moodiness and drama of a night-time venue through textured black granite surfaces, a monolithic bar and precise lighting that flatters the food and the space. Dough, a working bakery, utilizes industrial materials, such as reflective stainless steel and white granite, that befit its functional identity. The two distinct dining experiences and spaces are united by a throughline of long caramel leather banquettes and solid oak blonde tables that run parallel to floor-to-ceiling windows and that profile the heritage brickwork of a neighbouring building (another shared element of the two spaces). Extremely restrained in its palette and choice of materials, the design is focused on seamlessly executed details, from the undulating steel mesh ceiling to the floating banquettes that allow uninterrupted window views. This is a venue with a true sense of permanence and timeless style – and one that perhaps signposts a more sustainable design future.
