A former container wharf on the Brisbane River may seem like an unlikely location for a dining and entertainment hub, but with Royal Wolf on board, this world first has become one of the city’s most vibrant venues.
Priceless city and river views are the setting for more than 160 modified shipping containers that make up Eat Street Northshore – a colourful and unique landmark on the Brisbane dining scene.
“It’s an amazing place,” says Royal Wolf’s National Modifications Manager, Brendon Greatrex, who has been with the company for 17 years. “Words don’t do it justice.”
Eat Street first approached Royal Wolf in 2013, with their idea for a vast restaurant and entertainment precinct.
“My role is basically to help customers realise their plans,” says Brendon. “So my involvement was to bring ideas and expertise to the containers, modifying them and turning them into wonderful little shops.”
Eat Street Northshore showcases an amazing array of these modified shipping containers – an eclectic mix of restaurants, an outdoor cinema, entertainment stages, cocktail bars and more.
“Part of the brief was to create a venue that could be completely locked down on a Friday night after trading had finished, then opened back up again on a Saturday afternoon,” says Brendon. “It had to be totally secure, and ready to go again the following weekend.”
The video below outlines the unique challenges of the project, and how Royal Wolf addressed them.
As with most complex Royal Wolf projects, the process started with the design team, who created a 3D-modelled engineering package.
“We then put the project into the workshop, where the guys started cutting and welding, working off the drawings we’d created,” says Brendon. “From there, we painted the containers, then we put in the electrical installations, the plumbing, the inside panelling, sign writing, air conditioning and kitchen fit outs. You name it, every trade was there in our workshop most days.”
The use of modified shipping containers certainly answered the brief for a creative space with novel architecture and a funky vibe, but the need to address the challenge of security and safety was uppermost throughout the project.
“Our priority was also to build a safe product,” says Brendon. “Our design for the serving hatches is second to none. They’re built with a safety mechanism that prevents the shutter from dropping and hurting anyone. It’s easy to use – it’s like closing a car door.”
Coronavirus restrictions notwithstanding, Eat Street Northshore is now an established and much loved venue on the Brisbane social scene, and a true testament to the limitless possibilities of shipping containers.
“It’s a tribute to all the team at Royal Wolf,” says Brendon, “and also to our Eat Street client.”