Zumbo Cafe in Melbourne by Elenberg Fraser.

Project Address: 12-14 Claremont street, South Yarra, VIC Australia
Client: Adriano Zumbo
Design Team/ Elenberg Fraser: Callum Fraser, Thomas Orton, Kim Lai, Reade Dixon, Richard Pattison, Elizabeth White, Jansen Aui, Peter Scott, Emily Polidano, Toby Flaye, Michael Murdock, Jaime Sol, Sonali Peiris, Elizabeth Westworth, Yunwei Xu, Stella Lien, Alex Hopkins, Elke Howard, Harrison Wraight
Design/ Documentation Timeframe: 40 Days
Construction Timeframe: 7 Days
Floor Area: 80 sqm

Adriano Zumbo‘s first Melbourne patisserie needed to be something that stood out from the pack – and that’s where Elenberg Fraser came in. Taken on as their second annual ‘Graduate School’ program (see their first one here), a team of junior architects and designers were given free reign on the front of house fitout for the patisserie wunderkind. The brief was simple – stay true to the Zumbo brand and use a bit of pink. From here the design team took matters into their own hands. They expanded the response to include the graphic design for signage, lighting and custom-designed furniture, creating a delectable fantasy world with a slightly kinky twist – classic Zumbo and classic Elenberg Fraser.

The results make Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory pale in comparison; the retail experience was revolutionised using a variety of new techniques and technologies. Entering the space, the eyes are drawn to the bright pink neon sign, which uses a specially designed typeface and illuminates the space with a candy-coloured glow. Amplifying the effect are the mirrored plastic wall panels, which give the feeling of infinite depth. These were vacuum-formed and metallised, and then treated with aluminium vapour to achieve the reflective finish.

“We took the experimentation to the next level with the furniture – up-cycling old pieces and transforming them into larger- than-life confectionary creations by adding self-expanding foam and dipping them in pink and white silicone. Sit on these and let your imagination run wild – are they melted marshmallows or dripping ice-cream?” Elenberg Fraser

An important element of Elenberg Fraser’s Graduate School program is hands-on construction experience and all the furniture was fabricated by the design team. This celebrated Melbourne practice runs their Graduate School because of their belief that the new generation has the power to reinvent the practice. Amen to that!

Contractor: Brady IPS
Building Surveyor: Gardner Group
Vacuum Former: Castform Patterns & Plastics
Vacuum Metallizing: Zeus Products
Joinery: Art Stevens Cabinets
Furniture: Anthony Camm Upholstery/ Alex Rains Furniture
Stainless Steel Contractor: Designer Panel Systems
Silicon: Dalchem
Neon Lighting: Delta Neon
Window Graphics: Tint Designs

[Images courtesy of Elenberg Fraser. Photography by Peter Clarke.]