Renowned for their work in the hospitality field, Inaspace Architecture + Design are a multidisciplinary firm doing it all from master planning, to interior and furniture design. A true partner, Inaspace are a creative bunch with big name clientele from Rockpool Dining Group and Walters Steakhouse to Howard Smith Wharves and KFC.

We were lucky enough to partner with Inaspace this year to bring one of Brisbane’s oldest heritage buildings back to life. Built in 1885, the two-storey Allgas Building at South Bank has been an office, bank and a retail store. Now, Australia’s leading hospitality group, Rockpool Dining Group have taken residency with Munich Brauhaus bringing the best of Bavarian to the heart of Brisbane.

We sat down with their founder Tania Reiken to chat all things design…

DESCRIBE YOUR VIEW ON THE IMPORTANCE OF SYNERGY BETWEEN AN ARCHITECT/DESIGNER AND THE BUILDER?

A good relationship between the Builder and architect/designer is essential for a successful project. Inaspace have enjoyed collaborations on many D+C projects with builders over the last 15 years.

Involving the builder at the outset has many advantages. It allows all parties to work together and contribute their expertise and specialties to the project to achieve the best possible outcome.

Cost planning is also essential and an experienced builder like Unita assist the team and ensure a project is completed on time and on budget.

We really enjoyed working with Unita on Munich Brauhaus. If there were challenges during documentation and issues exposed on site they all chimed in and helped solve things creatively and quickly. Nothing was ever a problem.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVOURITE PROJECT TO DATE (HARD ONE, WE KNOW!)?

Munich Brauhaus is up there for sure! The building has an amazing story. It was built in 1885 and named Caledonian House. It had many incarnations and very diverse tenants over the years – a drapery, a bank, Allgas Energy, offices and a bank during Expo 88 and then most recently offices for Southbank. It was heritage listed by the Queensland government in 1992.

We loved seeing the many layers of different fitouts stripped out to expose the original heritage features and discoveries like mud in the basement from the 2011 floods. The building survived 4 Brisbane River floods. If only those walls could talk!

Munich Brauhaus was a super challenging project with heritage and budget constraints plus a very tight time frame. It was a great collaborative team effort and we met the deadline and exceeded the client’s expectations.

It’s always rewarding for the Inaspace team to experience projects once completed. Munich Brauhaus was especially eventful – the food, beer steins and especially the German band! It took me back to my Uni days at Expo 88 in the Bavarian Beer hall.

Munich Brauhaus during construction (December 2017) | Photo by Unita.

AS A PRACTISE, HOW DO YOU CONTINUE TO INNOVATE AND AVOID SIMILAR DESIGNS?

This is something that Inaspace are really conscious of and proud of. We don’t do cookie cutter designs.  Every client, every brief, every budget and every location are totally different. This motivates and inspires us to always create unique and individual outcomes.

WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND MUNICH BRAUHAUS?

The building was an amazing canvas to work with. The old brick walls, timber floors and trusses plus original cast iron were exposed early on. They became celebrated design features and inspired the design. In addition, we had the name and references to Munich and old beer halls to work with.

Munich Brauhaus after completion | Photo by Unita

HOW DID UNITA AND INASPACE WORK TOGETHER TO FULFILL THE CLIENT’S BRIEF? 

Unita have completed various projects for Rockpool Dining Group and have a great understanding of their business and hospitality venues. This made our job easier as they were able to relay this to us behind the scenes to streamline the design process. Inaspace documented the project as a 3D model using Revit software. We could quickly generate views from anywhere in the venue and send them to the client for approval. This meant we only had to visit head office in Sydney once to obtain the final approval for the design and the budget.

Munich Brauhaus on completion | Photo by Unita.

WHAT ARE SOME EXCITING PROJECTS THAT YOU HAVE COMING UP? 

For the last 12 months Inaspace have been working on a new landmark piece of architecture at the Howards Smith Wharves heritage redevelopment precinct.  A 600 square meter deck is currently being constructed directly under the Story Bridge over the Brisbane River from a large barge.

We’ve designed a hexagon shaped restaurant/bar which references traditional seaside structures and park rotundas.

It’s a career highlight to work with an amazing client, Adam Flaskas, and collaborate with a team of talented people and bring Brisbane something truly unique. The Inaspace team can’t wait to celebrate there with a glass of champagne. This venue will seriously have the best views in Brisbane.

Want to collaborate on an upcoming hospitality project? We’d love to hear from you.