David Jones Food Hall Refurbishment, Elizabeth Street, Sydney

David Jones food hall located on the lower ground of David Jones Elizabeth Street is revived into a gourmet marketplace. Entrenched in history dating back to 1983 this iconic department store will undergo a modern adaptation.

i2C were engaged by Mainbrace Constructions to assist with the documentation for the food hall refurbishment. The concept of the food hall was to integrate the original history and features of the building and alight these with the current needs and aesthetics of the gastronomic consumer.

Original brass balustrades down the marble stairs are re-introduced throughout material choices in the kiosk designs and the historic hand-forged lift doors elevating to the upper levels are retained as decorative wall panelling. This is then juxtaposed against a modern monochromatic colour scheme of white, black, and grey for products to sit against a clean, fresh, natural palette. Low ceilings and an unknown structure derived through years of historic renovations made planning the space challenging. A hands-on approach was required, adapting to the building throughout the process. Exposed ceilings kept the height of the space elevated beyond its original dimensions, and an angular ceiling void dispersed natural light into the moody ambience. David Jones’ iconography is subtlety dispersed throughout the lower ground space.

The space has been designed with romanticism in mind. Divided into curated kiosk designs, each with its own specialty of food and dine-in option, the spaces are all intertwined so the consumer traffics through the entire space, maximising the “Gourmet Food” experience.

David Jones food hall become a haven for gourmet delights, offering a wide variety of fresh produce, a selection of curated wine, chocolate, cheese, patisseries, and fresh seafood.

Client: David Jones and Mainbrace Constructions

Builder: Mainbrace Constructions

Location: Sydney, NSW

Photo: Mainbrace Constructions and Blake Brockdorff