Jury Cafe is located within the bluestone walls of a Melbourne historical site: Pentridge Village – formerly Pentridge Prison. The prison was decommissioned in 1997.
As an interior design project, Jury presented several unique challenges to our studio: we wanted to respect its dark past as a prison, and we also wanted to breathe new life into the cafe for its patrons to enjoy.
The theme of irreverence led us to play with ideas – ideas that created a contrast between dark bluestone walls and a palette of bright colours and blond timbers. Along with these ideas of colour, we used a mix of raw materials, plywood, structural timbers and concrete that allowed us to form a geometric colour pattern within the feature wall of Jury. This structure created a playful effect, one that brought the site to life and allowed it to move on from its dark past, as well as embrace a sense of fun for the future.
Biasol softened the space further by adding greenery from Pop Plant; they also designed bespoke tables and stools that are, again, all made from natural materials.
Project details:
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Type: Restaurants
Architects: Biasol Design Studio – www.biasol.com.au
Photos: Martina Gemmola