F&B – The Goods Shed Ballarat redevelopment

i2C brings local F&B expertise to The Goods Shed Ballarat redevelopment. Due to open in early 2022, the building forms part of the Ballarat Station Precinct on Lydiard Street and is set to transform the local area with its new food and beverage offerings and event spaces.

Working alongside the developer Pellicano, i2C was brought on to the core project development team due to its experience and knowledge around placemaking in line with heritage sensitivities heritage overlays, in particular, the design practice was responsible for the careful retention of the heritage-listed Ballarat Ranger Barracks in 2009, now home to a Dan Murphy’s store.

Originally planned to consist of mostly retail tenants,Goods Shed Ballarat redevelopment will now house a myriad of food and beverage tenants, becoming quite the foodie paradise for locals and visitors alike.

Drawing inspiration from place, locality and its heritage overlay, i2C and the collaborating teams have ensured retention of as much character as possible, with artefacts being salvaged from the previous buildings to use within The Goods Shed and surrounding areas of the precinct. Onlookers will see the maintenance of the pitched roof, and the industrial feel remains very clear given the developers’ commitment to restoring the site to its former glory.

The decision to create the food and beverage centric hub, rather than a retail destination, was the result of almost a year’s worth of conversations with the project team, says i2C Associate Anthony Haslam.

“Ballarat has become quite the destination over recent years, particularly when interstate and overseas travel is so commonly off the cards now. When we were brought onto the project, we wanted to give this lively location the foodie hub it deserves. This idea, of course, was made increasingly possible when Atlantic Group joined the core project team as the conference centre operator.

“Pairing our background in designing breweries and urban community spaces with this much-loved hospitality business, has meant that we’ve been able to create purposeful spaces for connection and culinary enjoyment. Across the various separate buildings, whether it be a conference, a wedding, a family lunch or a quick coffee among friends – the spaces have been specifically designed to increase usability with food and beverage in mind,” he said.

From a design perspective, diners can expect high end, industrial interiors that nod to Ballarat’s history, like battening and bluestone, timber beams and columns, and exposed brickwork. The elevated design plays with the deepening of materials and brings a layer of warmth to the highly considered food and beverage spaces.

i2C’s Interior Design team also worked on the amenities for The Goods Shed’s Events Hall, which features textured marble-like tiles, arched mirrors, and sleek contrasting colours.

i2C designed the bar, banquet hall, theatre, and meeting spaces, as well as the amenities. The design philosophy was to create an inviting and luxurious space, whilst highlighting existing heritage elements says Interior Designer Kate Ellis.

“It was really important to keep the heritage aspects – like bluestone and timbers – top of mind when designing these spaces, and these add a real warmth as well. 

“Usability, of course, was a key focus for us when it came to the amenities, but at the same time, we wanted the attractive features to follow on to these purpose-driven spaces. So should the venue host a wedding or a 30th birthday party, we want attendees to take a mirror selfie and feel as though the amenities are just as attractive as the rest of the venue,” she said.

Further to i2C’s interior design and documenting work, its Senior Graphic Designer Dan Coman has led the concept design of pylon signage and wayfinding throughout the precinct, which features designs celebrating characteristics from the original Ballarat site. Often seen as an ‘add on’, Pellicano recognised the importance of i2C’s ‘branded environments’ offering and engaged the team for this to ensure that the signage reflected the considered design of the rest of the site. With more announcements regarding tenants and construction completion dates to come, i2C Architects looks forward to bringing the Ballarat community its restored The Goods Shed. The heritage-listed site will put Ballarat on the map for foodies and passers-by.

Client: Pellicano Group

Builder: Pellicano Group

Location: Ballarat, VIC