The Merrywell

Jun 3

A 500+ seat ‘hero’ pub for Crown Perth’s Entertainment Precinct

Project info

Client: Crown Casino
Location: Burswood, WA
Traditional owners: Whadjuk people of the Noongar nation
Value: $5 Million
Date: 2013
Image credit: Robert Frith – Acorn Photo

The Merrywell is a 500+ seat pub that sits within the Entertainment Precinct at Crown Perth – an extensive resort complex on the eastern banks of the Swan River. With its casino, three hotels, a convention centre, a theatre, two ballrooms, 32 restaurants and bars, a nightclub and recreational facilities, the precinct welcomes more than 10 million visitors each year. As part of a $750 Million precinct-wide redevelopment, TRCB was commissioned by Crown Limited to design a ‘hero’ pub, befitting its location.

Externally, large asymmetrical archways sweep around the curved façade, clad with timber to form a warmly textured envelope to the courtyard as well as to the various dining and lounge spaces within. A garden meanders its way around the building, narrowing to the scale and character of an urban laneway in parts and widening into a lush landscape in others.

Internally, the fit-out is modern and welcoming. A variety of distinct spaces define different ambiences; abstracted ply trees line the sunken dining area, a sculptural timber blade wall delineates the secluded lounge, and a bespoke wall-to-ceiling artwork frames views out to a bamboo garden in the suitably titled Green Room.

Inside and out, The Merrywell at Crown Perth is a distinctly Western Australian blend of confidence, comfort and abundance, a mix that well suits the pub’s role as a gateway to the wider precinct.

Awards

2013 Australian Institute of Architects WA Awards – Interior Architecture Commendation
2013 Eat Drink Design Awards (Australia and New Zealand) – Best Bar Design Finalist