Finishing off the mad activity for SOD, I was treated to a double luxury - a beautiful six course dinner in the working studio of the Australian Tapestry Workshop, and a day-long free pass to wander through some of Melbourne's oldest, greenest and most intriguing architecture for Melbourne Open House (MOH).
Set up by one of my Indesign colleagues Francesca Unsworth, and her Paris-based friend Rachel Khoo*, Edible Tapestries took inspiration from the interesting surrounds of the historic workshop to weave a unique culinary journey through a mix of innovative creations. Starting with a delicious elderflower and Tanqueray martini (a definite "you had me at 'hello'" moment for me) we grazed our way through Incan Cerviche, Saffron-dyed Spaghetti, Scarlet Dashi, Beef Cheeks and Kumquat Millefeuilles...need I say more?
(*The English duo met when they were muffin-making at Parisian foodie bookshop La Cocotte and, bonded over their mutual Cordon Bleu diplomas, and love of cooking)
And perfectly matching each course were the latest offerings from husband and wife team - Sarah and Sparky - at Melbourne winery Mollydooker (whose strange nitrogen-based preservation of wines requires you to shake the contents before before sampling it). Hmmmm....
Check out the image above, and Victoria Robertson's post of the evening here - like me, she is interested in all things design, an unlike me, she was actually armed with a camera!)
It is not surprising then, in the company of good food, wine and friends, it was hard to get my head off the pillow the next morning - even with the promise of architectural mastery beckoning! But, somehow I made it onto the #8 tram and headed down Lygon Street to my first stop: the Pixel Building.
Designed by studio 505 as the head offices for Grocon's redevelopment of the the Carlton Brewery site, it is the first carbon neutral office building in Australia, and its rooftop laboratory will be used for research by the University of Melbourne.
Unfortunately the line out the front slowed my progress down somewhat, and I was only able to make it up to see CH2 and the ANZ Gothic Bank after. Which was probably just as well after the hectic week I had already had.
