The expansion of the popular ‘Fat Noodle’ dining concept from Sydney into Brisbane, sees this vibrant new venue situated within the historic former Queensland Government Treasury Building, home to the Conrad Treasury Casino.

Celebrity Chef Luke Nguyen briefed the Luchetti Krelle design team to best express the ‘heritage’ of the food on offer across the Vietnamese, Chinese & Malay cuisines whilst celebrating the relationship between the existing colonial architecture and Asian cultures.

“The building demanded a level of sophistication in the design… its elegance and grand proportions helped us to pick out and highlight the intricate details that the space already affords,” Explains design director Stuart Krelle.

“Our initial inspiration came from the ‘Hawker’s’ markets for their open nature and fantastic buzz.  From there, we layered the space with a modern twist on iconic Asian artefacts and symbolism with references to eating utensils, stories of mythical creatures from the ‘Forbidden City’, a lucky coin and even Confucius’s ancient game of Mahjong.”

Embracing the unique location, Luchetti Krelle set about engaging patrons with the use of two entrances – a street presence that draws in pedestrian traffic external to the building as well as a catchment point for those who are already within the casino.

A collaborative approach to key sculptural elements sets the character of the restaurant apart from its peers. An abstract fire dragon light sculpture bursts through the entry corridor, diving into the kitchen – at once enticing diners through the door, breathing energy into the open kitchen.

A custom designed chandelier comprised of woks floating in a sea of thousands of suspended golden chopsticks is a delicate, yet evocative treatment that infuses the once-colonial dining room with an air of playfulness.

The design, development and installation of these two powerful visual elements are the result of a close collaborative relationship between Armature Design Support and Luchetti Krelle.

Maintaining the language of the acutely customised interior, Luchetti Krelle have also incorporated a bar whose façade takes the form of an ancient paper scroll and set it against a new basket-weave parquetry floor. In the private dining room customers sit on Andreu World’s Carlotta chairs from KE-ZU, offset by the custom designed gold wallpaper from Quercus & Co.

Large lion heads play guardian to the double height, back lit mirror wall – all sculpted by Rosemont’s & Co specifically for the application whilst in the kitchen, custom painted Mahjong tile detailing was hand finished by a contributing artist from the College of Fine Arts in Sydney.

Luchetti Krelle

luchettikrelle.com