Fine dining takes a casual turn writes Stephen Crafti, who catches up with architects Ryan Russell and Byron George to talk Society, a project that is intended as a legacy to Melbourne. The brainchild of restaurateur Chris Lucas, who teamed up with renowned chef Martin Benn and his partner Vicki Wild, and the Melbourne-based architecture studio Russell & George, Society is Australia's most eagerly awaited new restaurant.
Philippe Starck’s P/Wood chair by Kartell was the chair Russell & George selected when designing the Lillian Terrace – named after Lillian Wightman, whose upmarket boutique once graced 74 Collins Street, Melbourne – that now forms part of Society, Melbourne’s most anticipated new restaurant. Spearheaded by restaurateur Chris Lucas, world-renowned chef Martin Benn and his partner Vicki Wild, it’s a grand venture that Melburnians and those travelling from further afield have been anticipating.
The Lillian Terrace @societyrestaurant and its relaxed dining experience features the soft curves of the P/Wood chair designed by Philippe Starck for Kartell. Photo © Sean Fennessy @seanfennessy.
“I just happened to be sitting in the same row as Chris on our flight between Los Angeles and New York so it was the ideal time to start discussing what furniture would be needed, particularly loose furniture for the Lillian Terrace... We went through a lot of options and went furniture shopping in Manhattan, but it was actually Chris who originally suggested the P/Wood chair after walking past Space Furniture.”
Byron George, Russell & George
Architect Byron George was on the same plane as Lucas in the early stages of the project (four years from start to finish). “I just happened to be sitting in the same row as Chris on our flight between Los Angeles and New York so it was the ideal time to start discussing what furniture would be needed, particularly loose furniture for the Lillian Terrace,” says George, who first spotted the chair in a furniture showroom in New York. “We went through a lot of options but I was reassured by my decision to go with the P/Wood chair when I returned to Melbourne and saw it in the front window of Space,” he adds, laughing that he had to travel to the other side of the world to end up finding it in Melbourne.
Designers Byron George and Ryan Russell. Photo © Sean Fennessy @seanfennessy.
The timber P/Wood chair responds to the material palette and relaxed detail of Society's Lillian Terrace. Photo © Sean Fennessy @seanfennessy.
The P/Wood chair designed by Philippe Starck for the Smart Wood range is joined by the Q/Wood with arms, the K/Wood armchair and the S/Wood ottomon, here and following. Photo c/o Kartell.
Kartell's Smart Wood collection is moulded to the shape of the body and features finely detailed upholstery, here and following. Photo c/o Kartell.
"The chair’s sinuous lines reflect the interior’s subtle indentations across the ceiling, walls and floor, and the curved edges of the timber panelling behind the bar.”
Byron George, Russell & George
While velvet features extensively at Society, the Lillian Terrace, a more informal dining experience, features the P/Wood chair that complements the tan leather, banquette-style seating and creates a more relaxed dining experience. The finessed curves of Philippe Starck’s innovative timber chair that are produced by a mould allowing the chair’s backrest and seat to align perfectly with one’s body, fit perfectly between the indoors and protected outdoor terrace, hence the name of the venue.
For Russell & George, the 60-odd chairs that now grace the Lillian Terrace not only occupy less floor space allowing more patrons to be seated, but importantly, provide comfort. And as with the fringed pendant lights, evocative of the flapper dresses worn in the roaring 1920s, the P/Woods suggest a feminine silhouette. “The chair’s sinuous lines reflect the interior’s subtle indentations across the ceiling, walls and floor, and the curved edges of the timber panelling behind the bar,” adds George.
Kartell is available exclusively in South East Asia from Space – Australia and Space – Singapore.
