Cathedral Room – Reine and La Rue
Location
Wurundjeri Country
380 Collins St, Melbourne VIC, Australia
Client
Nomad Group
Significance
State Significance VHR H0034
Completed
2023
Services Provided
Heritage Advice, Heritage Permits
Awards
2024 Winner - Restaurant & Bar Design Awards Heritage Building Category, Reine & La Rue
Housed in the stunning ‘Cathedral Room’ of the former Stock Exchange Building, Reine and La Rue seamlessly blends heritage and modern dining. RBA provided guidance to the client and architects Akin Atelier, to ensure the Gothic Revival grandeur—vaulted limestone ceilings, Corinthian columns, and prismatic glass floors—was both protected and celebrated. A reversible, lightweight fit-out was introduced and acoustic challenges were ingeniously solved in collaboration with Arup,.
The former Stock Exchange Building was designed in 1891 by architect William Pitt in the Gothic Revival style. RBA were engaged by Nomad Group to provide heritage and conservation advice and prepare a Heritage Impact Statement to accompany the permit application for the adaptation of the ‘Cathedral Room’ (former Stock Exchange Hall) into the contemporary restaurant and bar, Reine and La Rue. The fit-out was designed by Sydney based architects Akin Atelier as a light weight and reversible insertion that protected heritage fabric while meeting the functional requirements of a restaurant.
Significant original elements included the vaulted limestone ceiling, granite Corinthian columns, limestone walls with tracery and blind niches, marble dado and prismatic glass tiled floor. These elements also presented a substantial challenge for the acoustics of the restaurant. RBA along with Arup acoustic consultants were involved in resolving these critical details. Acoustic panels mirroring the existing stonework were introduced within the blind niches and a method that removed the need for fixings in the original limestone wall was employed.
Appreciation of the stained-glass window and substantial granite columns was enhanced along with increased visibility of the floor, comprising a combination of marble, encaustic tiles and prismatic glass tiles. The contemporary fit-out struck a balance between protecting significant fabric while also celebrating and revealing more of it to public interpretation and appreciation.
IMAGE CREDITS: Ben Guthrie
