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Matthew Sheargold - LOCAL DESIGN
Shilo Engelbrecht - LOCAL DESIGN
On Sunday 1 November, an upcycled modular landscape will arise from 50m of Kensington Street. This is Kensington Street: Food, Alfresco Art & Design; an amalgam of Sydney's most skilled artisans, their handiwork, and the institutions that represent them. With the generous support of Greencliff Realty and Kensington Street Holdings, this co-curation by Kensington Contemporary and LOCAL DESIGNbrings together the hands that sculpt Sydney's lifestyle scene.
With acclaimed television and radio presenter Fenella Kernebone as its ambassador, the showcase will be graced by local trailblazers from the sectors of art, design and food: Kensington Contemporary has curated an impressive selection of artists, ceramicists and sculptors ranging from Tracy Luff and her culturally charged sculptural forms, Adam Rish's nuanced 'misanthropological' sculptures, and the sensitive and reverential ceramics of Hidemi Tokutake - to name but a few!
Find new and visionary designs through LOCAL DESIGN - stumbling upon the beautiful, responsive forms of industrial designer, product engineer and principal of Vert Design, Andrew Simpson; Henry Pilcher of Henry Productions' veneration of the innate qualities of base materials, and the experimental furniture and decorative objects of industrial designer, Charles Wilson.
From 11AM indulge in craft over commodity, and a bite of delectable dining from our delicious offerings. Join us and Fenella at noon for the grand opening! With potential exposure to mass audiences and international attention, it shall be an unforgettable affair.
Kensington Street - Photography by Anna Kucera
Coinciding with Food, Alfresco Art & Design is Sydney Open, a Sydney Living Museum initiative to explore Sydney's most secretive buildings and thus, Sydney's shrouded history. The layers of Kensington Street will peel back to reveal its colonial past, when rum stores, workers lodgings and stables lined what is now a rising lifestyle destination. What stories hide behind these terrace facades?
From 10AM to 2PM, architects Tim Greer (principal) of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer and Paul Davies (heritage architect) of Paul Davies & Associates will deliver hourly talks on Kensington Street’s ongoing refurbishment and rich heritage. Prior to their grand opening in January 2016, Bistrot Gavroche will also preview an exclusive tasting of their menu - cheese, charcuterie and all the charms of French cuisine.
For the curious, the adventurous, the wanderers - buy your Sydney Open tickets here and start exploring on Sunday 1 November!
Clayton Wells - Photography by Anna Kucera
"Automata would definitely be a local haunt, if I lived in the area. Shame I don't, but perhaps it's time I reconsidered it."
Michael Shen of I'm Still Hungry has been moved emotionally (and possibly geographically) by Automata, the brainchild of former Momofuku chef Clayton Wells. Housed within the revamped industrial skeleton of The Old Clare Hotel, Automata plays off slick steampunk vibes and exquisite culinary mastery in a five-course menu, to be updated weekly.
See the menu - click here
Automata - Photography by Anna Kucera
The restaurant neighbours Silvereye, praised by Time Out to be “as brilliant as it is inspirational.” On Level 2 of the hotel, it is commandeered by former Noma chef Sam Miller, who combines the freshest local produce with five-years' experience at the third-best restaurant in the world.
See the menu - click here
For your morning coffee, do yourself a favour and head to Cafe Glider. Run by Mark and Pla Verhoeven, Glider infuses Single Origin Roasters coffee with Thai home recipes in an earthy dining space. Rave reviews of the avocado toast and ginger chicken burgers have definitely been circulating round the Kensington team!
With Kensington Street Social set to complete The Old Clare's golden restaurant trio in January, Kensington Street continues to cook up surprises!
Our tenants' audacious ideas would not come to be without Greencliff. A specialised real estate company, Greencliff have preserved the street's heritage buildings and offer continuous support to all initiatives!
Established in 1995 with close links to Frasers Property Group, Greencliff is the preferred selling agent. Their skills are particularly honed on the strata apartment market, high end residential market and providing Frasers Property Group clients the support and service they require.
Are you a skilled artisan, culinary genius, specialty retailer, bespoke crafter or innovative entrepreneur? Looking for a unique location to house your wares? Don't look any further than Kensington Street!
The street’s idiosyncratic fusion of industrial warehouses, heritage workers’ cottages and contemporary structures offer an inspiring foundation upon which its creative tenants will flourish. Interested in activating a distinct establishment that will energise Sydney’s latest downtown food and lifestyle destination?
All enquiries and expressions of interest should be directed to Kensington Street Leasing Agent, Marcus Chang.
Flavours of far-off lands will seep into Kensington Street with the arrival of Project Botanicals, an exotic cocktail and dining experience from Bombay Sapphire. In partnership with James Viles from Biota Dining, Sydney's most daring bartenders will serve up a line of botanical-infused cocktails and two signature menus ('Plants & Roots' and 'Berries & Bark'), while a live DJ grooves in the walk-in rooftop bar.
Satisfy your senses with the sublime on Wednesday to Saturday evenings, from 18 November to 5 December. Grab your ticket now and stumble into this oasis on Level 2, 2-10 Kensington Street!
Mariola Smarzak - Entangled in Autumn Mist 2015 (detail)
Thursday’s rains did not dampen our spirits as Kensington Contemporary 1 & 2 threw a launch party to open its dual gallery spaces! Wine glasses were filled, doors opened and we unveiled the misty vistas of Mariola Smarzak’s New Works and Ochre Lawson’s Remnants, a painterly meditation on the natural reserves of Sydney suburbia.
Carlton Project Space also opened Cosmographica, where father-son duo Beric and Julian Henderson chart the cosmos through drawings and light boxes.
These three galleries now compose the Gallery Trifecta, carrying on NG Art Gallery’s legacy of recognising emerging and established artists.
Kensington Contemporary, alongside Carlton Project Space, are pleased to offer their gallery spaces to the full spectrum of prospective artists! For three weeks, artists can exhibit rent-free in the Gallery Trifecta, receiving assistance from the administrative and curatorial team and entry into Chippendale's professional arts network.
Submit your proposals online!
Submit to Kensington Contemporary
Submit to Carlton Project Space
Photography by David Clare
Behind Kensington Street resides Spice Alley, housing Kopi-Tiam's series of hawker-style eateries that echo the bustling Asian metropolis and all the fragrant dishes it has to offer.
We are looking for local graffiti artists to draw inspiration from Asian culture and aesthetics to apply them to site-specific framework. Successful artists will be responsive to Spice Alley's oriental elements with an emphasis on nature, human scale, and the built environment. Their works will be interactive and three-dimensional within this dining atmosphere.
Please direct all expressions of interest to the Creative Director of Kensington Street, Nicky Ginsberg.
Dishes by Old Jim Kee & Hong Kong Diner Photography by Lauren Commens
Music enters the Kopi-Tiam on Spice Alley every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 7 to 9.30PM and Sunday from 12 to 4PM plating up buskers and roving musicians to accompany delicious Asian cuisine!
Enjoy the sounds of:
David Sharp, Thursday 29 October, from 7-9:30PM. Listen to the diversity of this master songster, as he delves into his repertoire of soul classics, 1950s hits and iconic pop tributes.
Donna Cain, Friday 30 October, from 7-9:30PM. Beautiful and extravagantly theatrical, be serenaded by this enchanting operatic performance.
Sarah Parkin, Saturday 31 October, from 7-9:30PM. Expect pitch perfect vocals accompanied by the sweet tones of her guitar.
Sacrebleu Chantal Mahoney and Stephen Coburn, Sunday 1 November from 12-4PM. From the shores of Ireland to the streets of Paris, traditional tunes and seafaring songs, a bit gypsy, with a piano accordion and banjo.
Photography by David Clare
Spice Alley is BYO! Nothing's better than a drink and some sweet live music under a lantern ceiling... Why not stop in at Red Bottle in Central Park's Living Mall before you arrive. Don't forget that the Kopi-Tiam is cashless - just tap your card and dinner is served! Visit the pay station to treat someone to a gift voucher, valid for all eateries in the alleyway.
Why not swing down to Spice Alley this weekend.
Photography by David Clare
Kensington Street's future is bright. It extends before us like a yellow brick road, winding towards an emerald city of new ideas, creative showcases and lifestyle offerings.
On Sunday 13 December join us for Kensington Street: Food, Alfresco Art & Design, take two. Be sure to pop it in your diaries now so as not to forget.
Come February, Kensington Street will be transformed by Chinese New Year celebrations. Stay tuned for further updates on this spectacular festival.
Keep an eye open and an ear out for Kensington Street. The fun truly never ends!
Keep updated on social media! Find us on Facebook, or Instagram
As Kensington Street grows and thrives, so too has its recognition by the media.
Broadsheet - "Central Park's New Spice Alley"
Concrete Playground - "New Hidden Foodie Alleyway Appears in Chippendale"
Condé Nast Traveller - "A once-sketchy Sydney neighbourhood is shaking off its tumbledown image to become the coolest cultural hub"
Financial Review - "A quirky new life for Chippendale's The Old Clare Hotel"
Gourmet Traveller - "Kopi-Tiam Spice Alley, Chippendale"
Jugernauts - "Kensington Street Spice Alley"
Xplore Sydney - "Kensington Street"
Sydney Morning Herald - "Sydney Open - Kensington Street"
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