'Flex some different muscles': Inside an eclectic fit-out in the heart of Canberra

Who: MyMyMy Architecture with builders Eifer

What: Such and Such all-day eatery, completed in December 2022

Where: Constitution Place in Civic

When interior design takes its cues from an eclectic art collection, you can go one of two ways. There’s the white-box art gallery approach, keeping things neutral so you can put anything on the walls.

Or you go big and bright, incorporating plenty of materials and textures, to give the artworks an opportunity to reference multiple elements.

For the design at the restaurant Such and Such, they went with the latter.

Restaurant owners Dash Rumble, Mal Hanslow and Ross McQuinn – the trio behind the celebrated fine diner Pilot. in Ainslie – first approached MyMyMy Architecture about the venue years ago, when they were first eyeing a tenancy at Constitution Place on London Circuit for what would become their second venue.

“They wanted to have it quite different from Pilot., so they could flex some different muscles,” says MyMyMy principal architect Mark Brook.

“They wanted us to design something that was really flexible, that could equally function for a pre-theatre snack or a quick drink after work, or for a sit-down dinner, formal dinner for events, celebrations, or somewhere to block out the whole venue.

“So it was really important that it was flexible, and sort of casual and fun.”

To suit a variety of diners, times and occasions, it’s a space that has to work hard. It does the job through an open-plan design that has created a number of unique spaces, each with its own character.

“We created a range of different spaces within the broader restaurant without using walls,” Brook says.

“We’ve used changing the ceiling volume and changing the floor texture to define different spaces so that there are different characters within the overall venue.”

To add a strong sense of place, they closely collaborated with local makers and artists to bring the design to life.

You enter via a gentle airlock to a bold, colourful glass sculpture by artist Scott Chaseling. A casual dining space with high tables combines a neutral floor with softer, acoustic ceilings.

The formal dining space has more compressed ceilings and sits alongside a big wine wall, with a bold red-and-pink marble floor. A velvet curtain can close it off for private dining, or stay open to connect it to the broader restaurant.

The main dining area is encased by a big, curved banquette by Couch Designs, with concealed stitching and large, voluminous curves.

Both the indoor and outdoor dining spaces feature custom furniture by Tom Skeehan, with some chairs by DesignByThem. On the walls, the art is curated by Grace Blake.

“It’s really wonderful that so many people could work together on something, and that we could push the boundaries with colours and materials and textures and artwork,” Brook says.

“It’s a fairly out-there restaurant yet it doesn’t feel too over the top. It really works together and is cohesive, which in an eclectic fit-out can be difficult.”