Dave Bickmore and Graham Charbonneau founded their Adelaide-based practice Studio Gram in 2014. Their notable projects include the revamp of Sydney’s federation-style Hotel Harry, Motel Mexico in Bali, and Barrossa Valley winery St Hugo.
Their style is recognized for its imagination, idiosyncracy and bold design choices. Both trained as architects, the pair met during their studies at the University of South Australia and have now carved out a space for themselves in global hospitality design.
Bickmore and Charbonneau share their five favourite cities where the beat, heritage and character have helped to define their unique design language.
Paris
Le Syndicat by Cut Architectures.
Image: David Foessel
“It’s a bit of a cliché,” said Dave Bickmore, “but when we were thinking about cities that have influenced us, or of which we have fond memories, Paris is one that’s close to our hearts.”
The pair visited the city in 2018 on their way to the World Interior News Awards and found something about the libertine hospitality scene resonated with their design sensibilities.
“Chez Jeannette reminds us of one of our favourite pubs in Adelaide, The Exeter. From the outside it looks like a rundown diner and the interior feels as though time has stood still – nothing new is allowed to adorn the walls. But it’s a great place to grab a window seat and people-watch. The menu is standard French fare, though if you’re looking for top quality Parisian cuisine, this isn’t your place, as the venue trades more in atmosphere.
“Le Syndicat, conveniently located around the corner from Chez Jeannette, is a great little wine bar that draws plenty of hip kids. However, what impressed us the most is the interior, designed by Cut Architectures, and their clever use of materials throughout.”
New York
New York.
Image: Amir Hanna/Unsplash
“We’ve always said that if we were going to open up another office, New York would be the city where we would do that,” said Bickmore. “It feels like everything converges there.
New York is a renowned crucible for converging cultures, evident in the city’s diverse dining scene, from Italian-style pizza houses, to Jewish delis, to the soul food restaurants of the south.
“There’s a certain type of design that exists in the hospitality scene in New York; I feel like Australian freshness could really work in a place like that,” said Bickmore. “Graham is also from Montreal, only a couple of hours from New york by train, so it would make sense to lay down our roots there.”
Montreal
Habitat 67.
Image: Cramer & Miau / Judith Bradette
“The city is very unique in a Canadian context: it has the charm of Paris and the grit of New York,” said Charbonneau “It is the world’s second largest French-speaking city and is often referred to as the Europe of North America.
“It has the most vibrant art and design scene in Canada. The blend of Canadian and French cultures is evident in the architecture, the art and the food. The confluence of influences over the culture and design is what inspires me about this place; it is what I have taken with me, and what I aspire to create within my work.”
Charbonneau’s favourite places to visit in Montreal include the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts; architectural icon Habitat ’67; historic wood-oven bagel shop St-Viateur; and Chez Claudette for its “poutine”.
“The Old Port is a must for a leisurely stroll through the historic cobbled streets,” adds Charbonneau, “and Metropolis for live music.” Charbonneau said. “Les Tams-Tams du Mont Royal” is also a “must” in the warmer months: one of the city’s quirkier traditions, it is an informal gathering of communal drumming circles that take place every Sunday at the base of the George-Étienne Cartier Monument obelisk.
Tokyo
Tokyo night life.
Image: Denys Nevozhai/Unsplash
“Tokyo is the first place that I went with my wife after we both graduated from architecture school,” said Bickmore. “A lot of stuff that happens in Tokyo feels completely random, but that only adds to the charm.
Bar Casba in Tokyo is one memorable landmark – a little underground haunt that is inconspicuous from the street, but inside harbours an intimate basement lounge decorated with trinkets of 70s nostalgia. The atmosphere only comes alive around 2am, and it has been known to host the world’s fashion glitterati, the likes of Rei Kawakubo and Marc Jacobs.
“I believe it was first established in 1996, and while this tiny bar is hard to find, it’s famous for hosting celebrities and fashion folk from all over the globe,” said Bickmore. “My wife and I stumbled across the Casba one night and found ourselves inside, unknowingly attending Hidetoshi Nakata’s (considered by many to be the greatest Japanese footballer of all time) 40th birthday party with a dozen of his friends.”
Adelaide
Lee Street Wine Room by Studio Gram.
Image: Josie Withers
“The first examples are typical of global cities, but we’re the biggest advocates for starting a business in Adelaide,” said Bickmore. “For a lot of people who’ve never been or haven’t been for a long time, I think that they would be pleasantly surprised by what’s going on here off the back of the small venue licence (SVL) that was legislated in 2013.
“It was serendipitous for us, as we were operating out of Adelaide but doing a lot of bars and restaurants in Sydney and Indonesia. The SVL lifted the red tape on obtaining liquor licences for small venues, and we were one of the only design studios that had good hospitality design experience, and that really established our practice.
“The hospitality scene has finally caught up with the exceptional food and wine production that has always existed here.”
