The newly renovated Prahran Hotel, located in Melbourne, Australia, must not be confused with the Tube Hotel in Mexico. Though they both share the use of gigantic concrete pipes in their architecture, the Prahran Hotel is not actually a hotel but a pub. And if you’re asking yourself why it’s called a hotel, well, that’s just the Aussie term for pub.
Local architectural studio Techne was asked to rethink the facade and concept design of the pub’s adjoining premises. The project involved the demolition of the old additions, in favor of a dramatic double-story building with a central courtyard.
The recently completed renovations include the creative use of 17 culvert concrete pipes now featured in the structure's facade, interior gardens and dining booths. The inclusion of the pipes not only gives the pub a dramatic and contemporary facelift but also offers its patrons large porthole-like views and an intimate dining experience from within the booths.
The pub's interior features an open steel glazed courtyard with hovering half-pipe garden beds and a concrete slab wall freckled with hanging plants. The factory-like interior design is softened with wooden finishes such as the wooden lining of the pipe booths, tables and central floorboards, which have all been made from recycled spotted gum. The service bar features an array of salvaged colorful piping and elegant hanging concrete cast lamps.
During the day time, the pipe facade fills the interior space with an abundance of natural light, making it a great lunchtime or afternoon hangout while ensuring that it stands out from your typical dark and dreary pub.
Sources: Prahran Hotel, Techne, Architecture Art Design via Arch Daily