Architecture News Plus (ANP) – Architecture and Design Magazine

Little Creatures Brewery

This is a project by Paul Burnham Architect and it is located at Fremantle, Australia. Project's program: Production brewery and multi-facetted hospitality venue. There are thirteen images for Little Creatures Brewery.

: © John Chisholm/Jody D'Arcy

Project details

Project name: Little Creatures Brewery
Location: Fremantle, Australia
Program: Production brewery and multi-facetted hospitality venue
Area: Building Area: 6,000 m2
Year: Completion: 2009
Project by: Paul Burnham Architect
Team: Principal Designer: Paul Burnham
Others: Contractor: Fini/Neil Kelly Building Co.

Project images

Designer's statement

Little Creatures Brewery is a production brewery and multi-facetted hospitality venue located alongside the Fremantle Fishing Boat Harbour, Western Australia. The project commenced in 2000 with the conversion of a former crocodile park into a new warehouse style pub/brewery. In 2008 Little Creatures expanded into neighbouring space and now occupies five different interlinked buildings comprising a mixture of new build and substantially converted existing buildings.

The completed facility comprises a large purpose made 24 hour brewery, six different bars, outdoor harbour-side dining, a Bocce court, live music venues and gallery space. The total capacity allows for up to 1, 200 patrons.

The architectural expression consistently reflects the industrial nature of the brewing environment. The brewing process is the primary function of the space and all hopsitality areas are sited around the various brewing facilities. All production and public spaces are purposefully designed to be mutually inclusive with minimal physical or stylistic separation. The brewing staff will intermingle, conduct meetings and tastings in public areas.

Every aspect of the design reflects the production nature of the space and makes scarce concessions to the decorative design qualities normally associated with hospitality venues. The customers are immersed in an active working industrial environment. This is expressed in the built form, the open kitchen, hard edge finishes and furniture.

The three large shed buildings are a mixture of steel and timber framing with large clear glazed gable ends allowing clear views right through the buildings connecting the large public park to the north and the working Fishing Boat Harbour to the south.

Little Creatures Brewery Company is a celebration of the passion of beer. The built form is an enthusiastic and unambiguously reflection of this industrial aesthetic, resulting in a truly unique, quirky atmospheric space where the architecture has become an expression of the function of the buildings.