Boutique New Zealand wine brand Stoneleigh have teamed up designers Kelvin Ho and Jeremy Bull, creating a luxury pop up bar in Sydney’s Custom’s House Forecourt launched on Tuesday (Nov 17)

Stoneleigh’s pop-up bar making a temporary appearance in Sydney’s Customs House Forecourt

When it comes to designing cutting-edge, luxury spaces, Kelvin Ho and Jeremy Bull are hot property. Having worked with some of Australia’s most coveted fashion designers, both Ho and Bull are fast gaining momentum as the Australian fashion retail architects du jour, and have now joined forces with Stoneleigh, one of New Zealand’s leading boutique wines, as part of its Spring/Summer 2009 campaign.

Building on the brand’s participation in a variety of Australian arts festivals throughout Spring Summer 2009, Stoneleigh has collaborated with Ho and Bull to create a fully functional, designer ‘pop-up’ bar known as the ‘Stoneleigh Lounge’, which is now set to make a series of exclusive appearances around Australia.

The wine brand teamed up with designers Kelvin Ho and Jeremy Bull to create this unique concept

The 40-foot portable shipping container lounge has been re-cycled and designed to provide visitors at its various locations an innovative and truly ambient venue for Stoneleigh.

In addition to showcasing Stoneleigh’s wines, the luxury lounge also amplifies the unique story behind the brand, in particular, the Stoneleigh vineyard sun stones. Located on the site of a former river bed, Stoneleigh takes its name from these smooth, pale, river stones that cover the ground. According to Stoneleigh winemaker, Jamie Marfell, the special character of the wines is due in part to these stones which reflect sunlight up onto the vines during the day, hastening the ripening process.

“The Stoneleigh brand story is completely unique, so we’re really excited to be working with two of the country’s most sought after architects to bring the Stoneleigh brand to life,” said Katherine Candy, Stoneleigh brand manager, Pernod Ricard Australia.

According to Ho, the contradiction between designing a bespoke bar within the confines of a mass produced shipping container became both the challenge and inspiration behind the lounge. The concept of transformation – packaging an experience into a compartmentalized unit which could then be transported and unfold – while also conveying the brand story through texture and materials, drove the design process.

 
The bar has been made of Stoneleigh’s signature river stones, best reflecting the brand

“From a conceptual point of view, it was a process of identifying the materials and ideas which communicated the idea of Stoneleigh most powerfully; landscape, sunlight, and perhaps a dash of nostalgia, and communicating them as succinctly as possible within a contained space,” said Bull.

Both designers also looked to artist Donald Judd, with his implementation of minimalism and signature use of raw materials, to assist with further inspiration for the lounge.

The mobile lounge, set to become a ‘hot spot’ destination whenever and wherever it appears throughout Australia, is just one of many initiatives Stoneleigh is running to expand its profile during the Spring/Summer 2009 period.

“We wanted to allow consumers to experience Stoneleigh in an environment reflecting the wine’s origins, while encompassing our brand positioning of accessible arts…which we are realising via our involvement in some of Australia’s most anticipated arts festivals,” said Candy.