Hecker Guthrie brings a natural, material-led design to Green Cup’s new Chadstone store, pairing pine, steel and glass with a grab-and-go layout inspired by the brand’s fresh, organic ethos.

Green Cup (Canteen) has opened in Chadstone’s Market Pavilion, alongside some of the city’s best providores and specialty grocers. It’s the fourth store designed by Melbourne’s multidisciplinary studio Hecker Guthrie for the owners and wellness enthusiasts who first introduced Australians to the green smoothie more than a decade ago.
 
Indoor seating has been deliberately limited to a few small stools to support grab-and-go use, while simple timber benches and a pine-wrapped nook outside the entrance provide places for customers to sip, sit and socialise within the bustle of the shopping centre.

Inspired by Green Cup’s product offering, Hecker Guthrie adopted a palette of unprocessed, natural and pure materials. “Their motto is fresh and organic so we represented that in a tangible way,” says Kymberley Gim, director of Hecker Guthrie. “We transformed honest ingredients into honest materials such as timber, steel and glass. It’s not a thematic design, but it is interpretive.”
 
Framed in pine with a galvanised steel base, a pared-back salad bar sits at the rear of the 118-square-metre store. Set against a mint green fibreglass wall, it rests under the beam-laced ceiling and reads more as a freestanding cabinetry unit than a fixed counter. Stocked with nourishing produce, it brings a flash of colour to the minimalist envelope.

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“Smaller timber sections make it feel less heavy and more like furniture. And given the natural qualities of pine, we’ve celebrated the different characteristics of the cut wood by exposing the side profile with its distinct grain direction and texture,” adds Gim.
 
A wall of galvanised steel panels and angled awnings adds dimension to the space, acting as a counterpoint to the handcrafted timber finishes. Each panel is separated by a steel C-section purlin, its three-dimensional profile introducing a subtle industrial contrast. Slivers of space between them offer glimpses of the kitchen and staff behind. An opening in the screen serves as the pick-up point for customers collecting their smoothies or acai bowls before continuing on their way.

Hecker Guthrie
heckerguthrie.com

Photography
Shannon McGrath