From humble beginnings as a healing ale to its newest venture as a bold new landmark, South Australia’s brewing icon proves evolution was always on tap.

When legendary South Australian brewer Coopers envisioned a guest-centred public destination that bucked tradition, Studio Nine Architects and interiors gurus Studio Gram leaned into the challenge. Eschewing the tired tropes of the typical pub, the facility blends whisky, storytelling and a visionary design with the demands of serious brewing, elevating the concept of what a modern beer destination can be. 

Situated next to the Coopers’ corporate headquarters on the traditional lands of the Kaurna people in Regency Park, South Australia, the facility is a foundational narrative that bridges hospitality and industry through history. “Coopers’ focus on the site has always been large-scale brewing,” Studio Nine associate and architect Simon Tothill says. “Our challenge was figuring out how to bring the public into that world in a way that was compelling, shifted their mood and told the Coopers story clearly.”

The new build not only conveys the Coopers story, but also serves as a narrative that physically shapes the brand’s legacy of innovation and craftsmanship – punctuated by a 50-metre-long glazed bridge connecting the new centre to the corporate headquarters. Studio Nine Architects embedded many otherwise lost stories of the 162-year-old brand by designing the bridge as both a functional link and an elevated museum, showcasing key Coopers artefacts that had long been tucked away in storage.

Innovation at every turn

If the golden ale flowing from the taps says anything about Coopers’ legacy, it’s that craft is at the core of everything they touch, and the new Coopers Brand Home epitomises that commitment. What stood out to Tothill during the build was the Cooper family’s modesty about their history. “They’ve got this incredible 162-year legacy, but they’re not overly nostalgic,” he says. “History is important to them, but they’re more focused on the innovations that keep them moving forward.”

With an innovative theme of circularity running through the project, architectural elements reference aspects of the brewing process, both internally and externally, challenging every convention of what a brewery should be. Rather than echoing the typical pub or leaning on nostalgia, the design carves out a distinct identity, circular in form and layered in purpose with a forward-thinking spirit that translates as curved concrete, cast glass and custom copper detailing. 

Studio Gram director Graham Charbonneau says the challenge for his studio was to bridge the industrial character of the brewery with the more refined, customer-focused experience expected in hospitality spaces. “We addressed this by preserving the raw materials that speak to the brewing process – copper and stainless steel – while the introduction of timber and leather softens the space and adds warmth. The design focuses on simplicity and functionality,” he says.

Discarding the standard hospitality playbook, Studio Nine’s architecture nods to the geometry of brewing tanks and the Coopers roundel. Elevated on a high-profile junction with 270-degree views, the structure doesn’t whisper beauty – it belts it. As the building unfurls in radial layers, each stratum offers a deeper immersion into the Coopers experience. This stratified approach reframes the idea of visitor engagement from a passive backdrop for beer tasting to a spatial journey, carefully curated to reflect both the heritage and ambition of the brand. Brewing here is no longer just production – it’s performance.

“We set the new building away from the main facility to give visitors a better appreciation of the [beer-making] process at scale and focused on translating the care and craft behind producing beer that’s shipped all over the world,” Tothill shares. “As architects, our role was to do that in a way that enhanced the brand in people’s minds, both locally and internationally.”

While the architecture boldly challenges conventions and celebrates Coopers’ commitment to innovation, the interior design continues this narrative through a carefully crafted immersive experience that’s as much about craftsmanship as it is about welcoming guests. 

Crafting the future from history

Studio Gram’s vision for the interior brings Coopers’ legacy to life through bespoke materials that blend industrial strength with refined comfort to create a space where tradition and modernity coexist.

The studio’s care for details feeds right down to handcrafted furniture that sits in repose among the airy space of the venue, while walls of custom glazing in the tasting room fuse the distinction between encasement and Country. “The cast glass walls create an ever-changing, ethereal effect that blurs the line between public and private,” Charbonneau says. “The way the light shifts throughout the day transforms the space, giving it a dynamic quality that feels both intimate and open.” 

He admits that of all the details of the build, the tasting room is his favourite “moment”. “The glow that emanates from the cast glass, paired with the custom-designed table, makes the room feel like a sanctuary, a perfect blend of craftsmanship, translucency and connection to the broader experience of the Brand Home. It’s a moment that feels timeless and captures the essence of the brand.”

Boldy standing as a piece of art alone, a sculptural spiral staircase of burnished concrete is a stalwart connection between street level and the hospitality space above, unashamedly luring patrons into a serpentine ascension to the microbrewery and restaurant dining space. The microbrewery curves prominently around the outer edge of the building, with full-height glazing, allowing views in from the outside and the restaurant dining space, adding to the theatre of the venue.

In direct juxtaposition to the upstairs space, 5000 whiskey barrels sit in the new whiskey distillery underground. “This marks Coopers’ first step into whisky production, so it was important to reflect that same sense of craft and care,” Tothill says. “We wanted people to be able to follow the process and see that this wasn’t a sideline project, but a serious, long-term move.” 

From bold architectural gestures to the finely crafted interiors, Coopers Brand Home is a masterstroke of collaboration where every material, form and finish tells a story of legacy and forward motion. Studio Nine Architects and Studio Gram have delivered a destination as considered as the beer itself – purposeful, expressive and enduring. As Charbonneau says, “This project is honest, purposeful and timeless. Every element has been considered with intention, and no detail is overlooked.”

Images by Timothy Kaye