New Arts Centre cafe sheathed in bronze curtain
ArchitectureAU, December 6th, 2019
Cumulus Studio has completed a new cafe in the forecourt of the Roy Grounds-designed Arts Centre, which occupies a prominent site on St Kilda Road in central Melbourne. The structure replaces a plastic gazebo that was intended to be used temporarily but operated as a cafe for more than a decade.
Dubbed “Protagonist,” the cafe is sheathed in a bronze curtain façade made from Kaynemaile, a fire- and UV-resistant polycarbonate mesh, originally designed in New Zealand to be used as chainmail costumes in the Lord of the Rings movies.
The curtain, which can be fully raised in summer is drawn to the ground and locked to close the café at night. When closed, the curtain becomes a screen that can be used for artistic projections or Arts Centre advertising. The cafe can also be used for private events with the curtain partially raised.
