CLOSING JAN 9TH, 2025

 

Society

  • Prize
    Winner in Interior Design Restaurant – Fine Dining
  • Company/Firm
    Russell & George
  • Lead Designer
    Byron George
  • Other Designer(s)
    Ryan Russell
  • Architect
    Russell & George
  • Interior Designer
    Russell & George
  • Hospitality
    The Lucas Group
  • Construction Company
    MPA
  • Photo Credit
    Sean Fennessey
  • Location
    Melbourne, Australia
  • Project Date
    August 2021

Society is a space that is designed to invite you back again and again. Considered as a series of interconnected chambers, the transitions between the rooms are as important as the rooms themselves allowing patrons to be drawn into the next space & explore the next experience.
Spanning over 1600sqm across 2 levels the spaces include the Society Dining Room and Terrace, a main lobby bar and lounge, a walkthrough wine cellar for 6000 bottles, a new pavilion custom-built by the designers to house a euro-centric bistro style offering and external terrace overlooking, 3 private dining spaces and auxiliary spaces space for kitchens and back of house operations.
Society is "establishment" - but it also mocks establishment. It's timeless and luxurious yet relaxed and approachable. It’s designed as an extension to the city of Melbourne, allowing patrons to drop in and out of for a quick lunch or a more grand celebrations. It is designed to be fundamentally convivial.
The design merges a variety of aesthetics from art deco, art nouveau, mid-century & brutalism to create a future contemporary design language of luxury & timelessness.

Bio
Russell & George is an internationally recognised and award winning design practice employing architects, designers, theorists, strategists & urbanists.
We believe in good design as problem solving. We believe in spaces, buildings and cities that improve the way we live & work. We believe in efficiency in delivery and we believe in design that responds to site and social context, wherever that may be.
We have completed projects on four continents, in cities as diverse as New York, Seoul, Tokyo, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Toronto and Rome. This is in addition to projects across Australia and NZ.

Other prizes
2021 Australian Interior Design Awards - Award for Interior Design Impact - Space & Time 2021 Interior Design Excellence Awards - Winner - Retail Category - Sarah & Sebastian 2021 Eat Drink Design Awards - Shortlist - Best Restaurant Design - Society 2021 Eat Drink Design Awards - Shortlist - Best Bar Design - Society, The Lounge 2021 Dezeen Awards - Longlisted - Retail - Sarah & Sebastian 2021 Designers Australia Awards - Award of Merit - Sarah & Sebastian 2021 Australian Interior Design Awards - Commendation - Retail - Sarah & Sebastian 2021 Australian Interior Design Awards - Shortlist - Installation - Sarah & Sebastian 2021 INDE Awards - Honourable Mention - The Design Studio - Russell & George 2021 INDE Awards - Honourable Mention - The Shopping Space - Sarah & Sebastian 2021 INDE Awards - Shortlist - The Influencer - Sarah & Sebastian 2020 INDE Awards - Shortlist- Best of the Decade, The Work Space - Space & Time 2019 Frame Awards - Winner - Restaurant of the Year - Ishizuka 2019 INDE Awards - Winner - The Work Space - Space & Time 2019 INDE Awards - Shortlist - The Design Studio - Russell & George 2018 World INSIDE Awards - High Commendation - Co-Working Space - Space & Time 2018 Restaurant & Bar Design Awards - Winner - Australia & Pacific Restaurant - Ishizuka 2018 Interior Design Excellence Awards - Winner - Hospitality Category - Ishizuka 2018 Australian Interior Design Awards - Premier Award - Space & Time 2018 Australian Interior Design Awards - Installation Award - Winner - Space & Time 2018 Australian Interior Design Awards - Best of State - Victoria - Winner - Space & Time 2016 Interior Design Excellence Awards Winner - International Category - Aésop KLCC 2016 Australian Interior Design Awards Winner - International Category - Aésop Westgate 2016 Dulux Colour Awards - Winner - Commercial Interior - Office Fitout & Retail - The Doctor's Studio