The Rapha Clubhouse in Melbourne is the new cycling destination in the city that will offer a full calendar of events related to the sport.
Designed by GroupGSA + Artillery for cycling brand Rapha, the new 350-square-metre clubhouse and café is housed in an early 1900s warehouse on Guildford Lane in the CBD with the building having heritage and cultural significance. The warehouse’s heritage status presented the design team with both opportunities and challenges.
GroupGSA + Artillery collaborated with Rapha and their UK-based retail design specialist, Brinkworth to design a clubhouse that would integrate the building’s unique heritage features such as bluestone walls, exposed floor and roof structures with Rapha’s and Brinkworth’s fitout design elements.
Keeping the site’s heritage character in mind, GroupGSA + Artillery made specific improvements to the existing warehouse structure, refurbishing the façade elements as well as designing a new internal stairway to match the original and also meet code and access compliance.
Steel riveted beams and flooring timbers in the existing building’s interior were left exposed, and refurbished where needed to bring them up to date with the stringent standards of a modern commercial space.
Group GSA + Artillery provided design reviews and integration, base building improvements and restorations for reroofing, floor repairs and structural works.
The team also managed local engineering inputs, construction works and compliance improvements for the building’s disability access, fire and environmental requirements.
