Hobart craft brewer Fox Friday has made it to the mainland with its new Melbourne taproom, just a short walk from Richmond’s busy Bridge Road precinct.
In tandem with architects Place Form Space, Studio Y has transformed a former stainless steel workshop into a multifunctional space, boasting a brewery, taproom and offices for the Tassie beermakers.
The 200-plus capacity venue is the first Victorian endeavour from owners Benn and Sarah Hooper, who purchased Fox Friday from its founders in 2019. Since their takeover, the brewery has seen a steady rise in popularity, serving up its colourful range of IPAs across Australia – and now, in its own Melbourne home.
The new Richmond location shares qualities of the original brewery in Hobart, but with a greater flair for theatrics. Heightened ceilings and a retractable rooftop make the space feel expansive and harmonious with its environment, while a homey central fireplace contributes to the warm and traditional atmosphere.
A transparent glass wall separates the brewery from the taproom, offering direct sightlines into the intricate workings of the 15-hectolitre brewhouse, with numerous taps pouring Fox Friday’s core lineup of beers and inventive limited releases.
The build needed to set the tone for Fox Friday’s expansion into mainland Australia. Studio Y sought to elevate the identity of the Hobart flagship into something that felt premium and would stand out against the other designer brewpubs in the Richmond area. The resulting venue is one that’s equally befitting special occasions as it is casual family dinners, with materials carefully selected to fulfil this brief.
Fox Friday wished to evoke a sense of longstanding heritage with a nod to Texas, which was achieved with use of raw steel, solid timber and weathered finishes by speciality painters Scanlan & Makers. The American-inflected vintage industrial feel is further rendered through ample use of leather and red brick, with low ceilings and timber wall panelling creating a cosy, lived-in atmosphere.
The main challenge of this project was the integration of two pre-existing buildings into one space for Fox Friday. Through strategic interventions such as opening up the existing precast elements and connecting different sections of the building, a distinctive interplay of spaces was created. This was broken up into zones by Studio Y – some large, some more intimate – with different seating arrangements, such as booths or communal tables, to create texture and avoid the vast space feeling stark.
The retractable roof system ensures there is ample natural light during the day, but also reveals a starry ceiling once night falls.
