Perth-based interior architecture and furniture design studio, Ohlo Studio have designed Dough Pizza in Perth’s bustling Westfield Whitford City hospitality precinct. 

The brief was a evoke a distinct atmosphere and personality reinforcing the cultural heritage behind the food and the team all within a tight footprint. 

Using contemporary lines that intersect a rustic base, the design creates diverse spatial experiences within a tight footprint.

The client housed two restaurants within one tenancy. Indian street food restaurant Bombay Talkies, also designed by Ohlo Studio, shares the tenancy. This created a need to condense the planning without compromising functionality. 

“One of the project’s biggest challenges is also where its strength lies, is meeting the brief from two clients with varied interests (Westfield and the proprietor),” says Ohlo Studio director Jen Lowe.

“Westfield calls for an ‘on-trend’ aesthetic, while the client’s interest was in hospitality venue with longevity. A sense of timelessness was crucial, as was a space that appears casual and fresh yet true to the roots and values of the offering.”

This was achieved via open plan kitchens and utilizing a communal corridor for shared functions.

The central bar demarcates two distinct dining and atmospheric conditions, linked through a hospitable hearth. 

On one side, a sloping ceiling plane accentuates the light-filled space. The warming theater of the pizza oven is on view employing an Italian spatial vernacular that blurs the boundary between eating and cooking. 

To unify the space and increase flexibility, a structured modular booth seat was designed. The structure of the sofa modules is housed within the cushioning and allows each independent seat and back module to shift along a carpeted platform.

“Due to the competitive nature of the location, the client required a dynamic frontage presenting a distinct atmosphere and personality,” says Ohlo Studio. 

A tiled bar puncturing the facade activates the boundary and creates a playful entry. Clusters of long farmhouse-style tables support this sociability.

Material finishes unify diverse spaces in a palette of contrasting colours. Sharp edged geometries are softened by warm timbers and tobacco hued upholstery. 

The vernacular of the neighborhood Italian espresso bar is referenced in the eccentric collection of objects, lighting and washed out beach scenes.

Perth’s hospitality scene received a recent boost with the completion of Hames Sharley’s revitalised commercial precinct.

Photography: Patrick Schuttler.