Beer is an essential item, right? Splinter Society is certainly making a case for just that with their latest project. Partnering with Deeds Brewing, the Fitzroy-based architecture and interior design studio have designed the brewery’s first Taproom – a full-scale, multi-sensory beer extravaganza.
Located in the Melbourne suburb of Glen Iris, the Taproom is set within the proprietor’s very own craft beer production facility, throwing visitors into the depths of the brewing process. With an unfussy entrance – a brick facade topped by a sawtooth roof, the inside surprises.
Sexy and sleek, the interior reinterprets the industrial shell with a more polished execution. Fine black steel, metal screens, warm natural timber and soft suedes intermingle with glimpses of the raw warehouse walls.
The lofty ceiling exposes existing structural elements – previous timber ceiling beams have been recycled and refashioned into tabletops. A distinct end grain timber pattern is used for the key elements including a long central bar.
Keeping it on brand, key brewing forms delineate the vast space from the towering fermentation tanks built into the bar, and the ever-changing list of weekly brews to the aging barrels dramatically stacked in the dining room. These are reinstated in the repetition of circular screens dividing the ground and mezzanine level.
With all areas being open to the actual working production facilities, the long bar on the carpeted second floor is the perfect spot to not only catch some people watching but also get the birds-eye view of brewing in action!
The experience of the space becomes multi-faceted with the introduction of theatrical lighting elements. Continuing the patterns derived from the brewing process, circular lights are integrated into the bar further accentuating it as the centre-piece of the fit-out. A cutting-edge LED installation illuminates the screens through the spaces. A spotlight illuminates a large floral installation created by floral artists Alchemy Orange, adding a soft edge to the masculine surroundings.
If beer is your thing, Deeds Brewing Taproom is just the ticket, with Splinter Society designing an immersive experience inspired solely by the amber elixir itself.