Mammoth Café

by Technē Architecture + Interior Design

After making their dent with Richmond favourites Touchwood and Pillar of Salt and Northcote hotspot Barry, husband and wife pair Jamie and Loren McBride have just unlocked the doors on their latest café project, Mammoth.

A unique triangular occupancy wedged between Malvern Road and Beatty Avenue in Armadale, Mammoth is the next episode in Jamie and Loren’s ongoing task to further discover the potential of healthy, imaginative and modern café style dining.

In the kitchen, ex Hammer & Tong chef Emma Jeffrey has produced a highly stylized, complex and playful menu. The unique, all-day offerings are advanced and express an progress from the McBride’s other venues.

Appealing Melbourne architecture and interior design studio Technē to change the site, the duo set Technē a brief of making a peaceful, happy area that had a nod to delicate reference points including West Coast USA, summer vacations and the beauty of Wes Anderson films.

Working with a site that was uneven in shape and divided into two distinct sections, Technē started by workshopping multiple potential floorplans in accordance with the customer’s openness to investigating non-standard seating arrangements. In reply, a sculptural front stand that includes bar-style seating greets visitors and produces a central focal point of the area.

A variety of seating styles exploit the natural nooks that are produced by the site’s uneven triangular floor plan. In supplement to relaxed seat and table settings, long benches, banquettes and bar seating at the central stall offer multiple configurations and variable energies that produce a flowing and relaxed setting.

In finishing and decorating the area, Technē opted for clean, simple white walls to escalate the feel of space and reflect the natural light. Splashes of blue are a rapidly recognisable mark of the design, from the powder blue terrazzo floor and powder-coated navy blue metal table legs, to the changing shades of the blue aprons decorated by floor staff. American Oak benchtops and tabletops enhance warmth to the area, supplementing a lavishness of natural light and sunlight.

“Due to the nature of a small, triangular and split-level site, space planning for this project was initially a tricky exercise. However the quirkiness of the site quickly became an enjoyable design challenge for us,” articulates Technē senior interior designer, Jonny Mitchell.

“From there, we sought out to reach a balance between functionality and aesthetic, with the added bonus of a very fun set of reference points.”

According to Jamie, the hospitality pair has received an poignant response to the areas created by Technē.

“Ever since we started working with Technē on our cafés we have had strong feedback,” he speaks.

“Technē really hit the nail on the head with this one. We simply wanted an enjoyable, easy-going space that didn’t follow trends, and we got one. Every time someone new comes into the space they exclaim how beautiful it is.”