David Jones Food Hall
Elizabeth Street

Entrenched history dating back to 1838, the modern adaptation of this iconic department store’s food hall located on the lower ground of David Jones Elizabeth Street is revived into a gourmet marketplace of “old meets new”, bringing the finest craftsmanship in modern interior detailing to life.

LOCATION

Gadigal Country | Sydney, NSW

CLIENT

David Jones / Mainbrace Constructions

YEAR

2020

SECTOR

urban, mixed-use, interiors

STATUS

Complete

BUILDER

Mainbrace Constructions

PHOTOGRAPHY

Archishot

AWARDS

Master Builder NSW Restoration of Historic Building 2020 Winner

The concept of the food hall was to integrate the original history and features of the building and align these with the current needs and aesthetic of the gastronomic consumer

Original brass balustrades down the marble stairs are re-introduced throughout and complement the historic hand-forged lift doors

This 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 the space challenging to plan. A hands-on approach was required, adapting with 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.

Original brass balustrades down the marble stairs are reintroduced throughout and complement the historic hand forged lift doors

i2C took a design concept and ran with it to create a for construction design that is thoughtful and in line with the original brief. The design stage was difficult with a number of unknown issues popping up throughout due to the heritage nature of the building, however i2C tackled them head on and resolved them with buildability at the forefront. Ben and the team worked long and hard hours with the Mainbrace team to create a space that put life back into the iconic David Jones Food Hall and made going to the David Jones Food Hall exciting again. The i2C team should be extremely proud of the work they have completed at David Jones.