The Matilda Bay Brewing Company’s brief was unusual. They wanted to build a tasting room – in the centre of their working brewery. Their vision was for a bar that would feel like it was the brewers’ own canteen: a place for workers to share the rewards of their effort.

The space we started with was an empty section of factory floor with one wall and no ceiling.

In re-imagining the space we drew on the materials already in the area, as if the brewery workers were building the bar themselves: steel and timber, old bricks, cable trays, industrial heating and lighting.

An old timber workbench was used for the bar, with excess cool room panelling for its front. Standing steel drums became tables and stainless steel piping and cable trays made up the skeleton of an open ‘wall’ separating the bar from the factory. Concentrating the materials closely together gave the bar an intimate feel while keeping it connected to the vast space of the factory around it. The lighting design further enhanced the warmth of the space.

The Brewer’s Canteen proved so successful that it wasn’t long before we were briefed to work on a second stage. The Street Canteen would provide additional seating and a dining area and, in suitable weather, would open onto a quiet street outside.

While the new space was more enclosed than the original bar, we approached its design using the same industrial finishes and reused materials. Exposed brickwork provided a rough backdrop, contrasted with industrial light fixtures and naked vintage-style light bulbs.

The overall effect is a warmth similar to that of a naked flame. The Street Canteen is welcoming and casual, coming into its own on warm nights when patrons spill out to enjoy a light breeze off the nearby Port Melbourne beach.