Three Below, City Square, Melbourne

Architect: Six Degrees Architects

Like La Vita Buona, this bar had to appeal to passing travellers, enticing them in from the bustling City Square. It also had to distinguish itself from nearby bar venues. Maximising its location on the perimeter of the square, Three Below has an adaptable front wall, with windows that tilt open and doors that fold back, bringing interior and exterior into communion as the season allows. With concrete and steel components throughout, the fit-out presented many structural and other challenges, such as the acoustics, to which end fabric panelling was fitted on the ceiling, also doubling to screen the services.

In 2005, the clever and distinctive fit-out was recognised with a Royal Australian Institute of Architects (Vic.) award and an Interior Design Excellence Award, both in the category ‘Commercial Interior’.