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Behind The Design – RAFI URBNSURF
RAFI URBNSURF: Behind The Design
Our conversation with Stuart Krelle from award-winning architectural design studio Luchetti Krelle.
As we swing the doors open at our second location RAFI URBNSURF, we invite you to go behind the scenes to explore the design, interiors and unique elements that lend this incredible location a sense of place, seamlessly blending in with the wave park and bush that it calls home.
Luchetti Krelle has been a long time collaborator, designing several Applejack venues, including RAFI North Sydney. We chatted with Stuart Krelle, the project lead and Co-Principal/ Creative Director about his vision for RAFI URBNSURF, design highlights, and secrets interwoven through the interiors. Keep reading for more, and enjoy a sneak peek for yourself below.
What was your initial vision for RAFI URBNSURF’s interior, and how does it differ from the original RAFI in North Sydney?
Avoiding surf-side themes, our design references the Northern Rivers region of NSW given its abundance of natural timbers and rich earthy shades gently relieved by expressive stone varieties with silvery blue and copper markings, plus golden spider veins, enabling the opulent blue of the wave pool to resonate.
While there is recognisable DNA regarding North Sydney’s RAFI, we did not want to replicate it. We touched on the original RAFI’s innovative custom joinery elements in addition to mixed material pairings, toning down the complementary colour clashes here. A jigsaw of textures and patterns also abound (albeit with a less playful, more sophisticated tone). Mosaic-tiled table surfaces and floors mingle with woven rush dining chairs and printed fabrics enlivening the room.
How did you incorporate elements of surf culture and the coastal environment into the design while maintaining RAFI’s sophisticated atmosphere?
We stayed away from clichéd surf themes – you won’t find customary maritime stripes or white-washed timbers inside, no soft pastels or sunshine yellows either. Instead, water themes are far more subliminal. Custom tactile layers are carved into timber surfaces to allude to the restaurant’s waterside locale – from recessed ripples of circular motifs dotting service station counters to the stepped timber wave-like patterns framing high table share seating by the bar, and the rounded corners of stone cupboard pulls that appear like riverside pebbles.
Can you highlight a specific design feature or element that you feel really captures the essence of RAFI URBNSURF?
Both venues sport highly detailed, yet distinctly different bars that occupy significant real estate. This newer iteration supports expressive woodgrain panels dotted with hand-made tiles featuring unique glazed patterns and tones with a gentle golden crown of polished plaster hovering above it.
It’s the hero of the room, and we love that you don’t discover it as soon as you enter the restaurant. A close contender is the super plump velvet banquettes that have an incredibly inviting, deep coppery orange glow that encourages lingering over a long lunch. It’s magical to be in the restaurant mid-afternoon given the venue’s north-westerly aspect as the sun filters in and makes them glow.
How did the unique location within URBNSURF influence your design choices?
Given the restaurant’s concave shape, we tried where possible to avoid jarring angled returns. Hence the gently curved sweep of the main bar (occupying almost half the room’s width), and the arched returns of the banquettes that finish with gently sloping ends.
On a more literal level, the layout, both indoors and out on the dining terrace prioritises the stunning lagoon and wave pool view. You can view the water no matter where you are seated as we incorporated high table seating towards the rear of both spaces.
Is there a hidden gem or subtle design element in RAFI URBNSURF that diners should look out for? Something that might not be immediately noticeable but adds to the overall experience?
Grounding the main dining scene, we customised the tones of a wool carpet from Cadrys by First Nation’s artist, Colleen Ngwarraye. It sprinkles abstract motifs of Bush medicine herbs upon the floor. Identical in design motifs to a rug in RAFI North Sydney (in the private dining room), here, the vibrant tonal markings are dialled down to resemble riverbed hues. Its undulating pile height resonates in the late afternoon when shards of sunlight charge into the space.
I’d also encourage people to run their fingers over the surface of the granite waiter’s station surfaces. In addition to their leathered finishes, you can feel the ripples of the more expressive veins.
What do you hope diners will feel when they first step into RAFI URBNSURF?
A sense of awe regarding the beauty of natural, organic elements from our selected timbers to granite and marble surfaces, plus an appreciation for the hand-crafted joinery elements.
Then, of course, there’s the wow factor of sitting down and encountering the magnificent blue of the lagoon that engulfs you. It’s a dreamscape and something pretty refreshing for locals who don’t have the opportunity to just pop down to the beach on a whim.