“Two of the partners in ACME had a lease on the space for the previous five years and operated it as a bar called The Passage,” explains Bar Brosé manager Matty Hirsch. “Brosé came about as an opportunity when they decided to close The Passage last December but hang on to the lease.” As gritty Kings Cross evolved somewhat dramatically, the narrow, dimly lit nightspot had run its course. After opening ACME, business partners Ed Loveday and Andy Emerson were keen to open something similar but new – somewhere they’d like to dine at when not working.

Sydney based architecture and interior design firm Luchetti Krelle were a natural choice to bring the project to life – their rich hospitality portfolio includes ACME, as well as other Australian dining spaces, , Momofuku Seiōbo, Single Origin Roasters, The Butler, Barrio Cellar, The Tilbury Hotel, and a Hello Kitty Diner in Chatswood in Sydney. ACME was envisaged as a sleek, impressive space with dark timber features, exposed brick, and dynamite stick pendant lamps as a playful reference to Loony Tunes explosives.

The Brosé space needed to be lighter and more relaxed – a complete transformation from its darker, nightclub era. “The brief was to completely transform the space from what was a very dark and narrow tunnel like space into a fresh, open and paired back interior,” says Hirsch. While ACME has Italian roots, Bar Brosé follows a French theme, and was intended to be a casual, but smart wine bar.

Perhaps the most notable change of the space is indeed its lighting – a clear, soft semillon hue. “We stripped back all of the wall linings to reveal the old brickwork and archways that had been covered up,” says Rachel Luchetti, co-director of Luchetti and lead designer of the project. “The archways now have mirror inserts that are edge lit like the ones in ACME which helps to create a soft indirect light. Terracotta vents have been stacked and backlit creatively above and below the hot pass with flat steel plate trims.” Backlit glass blocks built around the larder are a distinctive feature of the front dining space, and the light can be dimmed as the evening goes on.

Luchetti Krelle
luchettikrelle.com

Bar Brosé
barbrose.com.au