From the architect:
Vecina is the neighbour to the Flotilla restaurant and is a continuation of the intimate dining experience. As the name suggests, the Spanish inspired bar sits proudly next to the existing venue in Wickham, an inner city fringe suburb in Newcastle. The project takes cues from harbour and industry context.
The design for Vecina is a neighbouring bar attached to Flotilla Restaurant, Wickham Newcastle. In the restaurant, the kitchen is placed front and centre to bring a sense of theatre to the experience. Vecina extends this activity in areas that offers a place for the patrons to grab an aperitif before heading into Flotilla to dine.
The project transforms a very small remnant tenancy into a flowing space, connecting the bar with the street and adjacent restaurant. The interior design responds delicately and skilfully to the tight site constraints and project brief to resolve the second chapter to Flotillas offering. The 90 sqm interior footprint required the bar configuration and the seating arrangement to be well considered.
The natural and low maintenance material palette continues into the bar space. The natural leather furniture softens the sharp angles of the acute geometry, taking cues from the banquette seating in Flotilla.
Deep green painted and raw steel speaks to the nearby cohabitation of mangrove and industry. The dark stained timber pattern on the bar is a reference to the maritime flags and signal codes that inspired ‘The Flotilla.’ The bar front references the herringbone pattern featured in the nearby wool store buildings.
