600 Bourke St, Melbourne VIC 3000 c/o We are Humble PTY. LTD.

A Spyglass
Project

2026

Spyglass is a venue that is completely on display, with no space to hide. It is a small cafe tucked in the back of a city office building wrapped in a large expanse of windows. We set out to create a venue that would be experienced from the street even before stepping foot inside. The design unfolds along the length of the shop, crafting a series of “scenes” that are viewed through the street-facing windows. This framing effect transforms the space into a sequence of moments.

The heart of the cafe is a chunky central espresso bar, designed to appear as a floating island on a raised plinth. This is anchored at one end by the pastry display, which is highlighted beneath a mirrored circular ceiling light. The space makes use of indirect and diffused light, a diffused grid hovers over the main bench creating a sense of warmth without exposing light fixtures. LEDs are concealed in pockets in the ceiling with the reveals painted in a contrasting colour to the ceiling. The shapes that these elements create in the ceiling further emphasize the layout below and the ‘floating’ quality of the espresso bar island.

The interior’s warmth is amplified by the two-tone colour palette. A soft, peachy sand colour coats the walls, contrasted by a darker tone used in the lighting reveals and the bar’s ceiling grid. These tones harmonize with warm Tasmanian oak timber panels and the terracotta shade of the floor tiles. Providing a counterpoint are light blue joinery elements, which appear in small plinths next to the banquettes and on the leaners that stretch across the front and rear windows.
Spyglass is defined by contrasting elements, from the transition between warm timber and cool stainless steel to the juxtaposition of a chunky benchtop resting on a light, ethereal, reeded glass bar. The space blends elements that are shiny and new with a soft, dreamy quality of light.

Client: Spyglass
Builder: Four Seasons Commercial Interiors

Signage: Good Sign Co
Lighting: Solstice Lighting

Photography: Michael Pham