Theatre on a Plate

Café Lafayette, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia by Hassell

Words Photography

A historic 150-year-old converted townhouse sits in Niagara Lane, one of the oldest laneways in Melbourne’s city centre. This heritagelisted site has been transformed into a feat of innovative and daring design, blending theatre, creativity and contemporary flavours.

Run by co-owners Solar Liang and Monique Wu, Café Lafayette is not your typical café. When the world shut its doors earlier this year, we never expected the simple joys of celebrating and eating out to disappear so quickly. It is in these last few months that we have recognised that a restaurant is much more than its food offering; it is the culinary spectacle of intoxicating aromas, plated artistry and an energy in the atmosphere that delves deep into all five senses. The result is an experience far more memorable than anything we can take home.

Melbourne’s crowded café scene demanded something that would shake it up. Influenced by the presence of the ‘Instagram Generation’, Liang and Wu engaged architecture firm Hassell to create a space that provided an entirely unexpected café experience, unlike anything else in the city. “Through working so closely with the owners, we’ve come to know and understand their experimental Japanese-inspired menu and the creative thinking behind it,” co-lead designer Prue Pascoe says. “The Melbourne food scene is very established and there are a lot of spaces occupying that ‘white and light’ aesthetic, so it was very exciting to see them be so brave and determined to challenge that.”

This prompted the design team to strip out the idea of a conventional café. However, the historic significance of the site meant that the original structural features and internal and external brickwork had to remain untouched. Additionally, the compact rectilinear space did not allow for much natural light aside from mere glimpses through a small, street-facing window. At the start of the process, this was a challenge that the designers identified.

In collaboration with Melbourne-based Studio Round, an authentic brand experience was established through an experiential, sensory narrative that surpassed any restrictions within the site. The revitalised space pays homage to its past while remaining an evolving destination that ties together its heritage and an exciting, future-forward design story.