MMC + MRC = perfect harmony, with My Mexican Cousin opening it’s doors in recent weeks tucked into the corner of the Melbourne Recital Centre in Southbank.
Designed by award-winning architectural practice, Six Degrees, My Mexican Cousin is the much anticipated dining and entertainment destination from Salvatore Malatesta of the St Ali Group, Jerome Borazio of St Jerome, Grant Smillie, award winning DJ and owner of 360 Agency and Andrew Mackinnon from The Taboo Group.
A warm and versatile space, My Mexican Cousin is no doubt a welcome addition to this pocket of Melbourne; an area more flooded with large corporate venues than those that are intimate and inviting.
I talked to the team behind the venue and Mark Healy of Six Degrees architects, to get the low down on how this little ‘jewel’ came to be…
What was the intention behind wanting to open MMC and why in this location?
Salvatore Malatesta came up with the concept after being approached by the Melbourne Recital Centre. “The art and the cultural life of Melbourne are of primary importance to me, because it enriches and informs all parts of my life. I have a tendency to put that out there and people pick up on it. My Mexican Cousin was born from the unique blend of synchronicity and opportunity. I brought Grant on board first because I’ve wanted to do a venue with him for ages, and the rest just fell into place.”
3. Six Degrees designed the fit out and their signature style is evident – how much free reign were they given or was there a clearly defined vision?
Mark Healy at Six Degrees says, “We were presented with an absolute shell, a bare structure with all the exposed service pipes, and pretty much given free reign. Salvatore was very clear on what does and doesn’t work from an operational perspective, but otherwise we were left to interpret.” The space is very tall and voluminous, so instead of dropping the ceiling Six Degrees left all the industrial fixtures, the underbelly of the building if you like, and dropped certain fixtures into the space, such as the dramatic lights.
“The bar area allows for the small amount of space on offer to be open for serving on all sides, and the interior is designed so that it can wear many hats, from morning café, the lunch time eatery, to dinner and ultimately a cocktail bar. The space is layered up so it can be have lots of different identities.
The design of My Mexican Cousin needed to have a dialogue with the foyer of the MRC, which is highly specified and no expense has been spared. We had a small budget yet we needed to enmesh the two spaces. MRC management was very watchful over the entire process so there was pressure there. The weight of the existing structure had thepotential to crush the small space we were working with so we scaled the space down to people size and created, I believe, a little jewel that sparkles so people can see there is something there between the toes of the elephant.”
4. How strong was the sustainability focus in the design?
Mark Healy says “We always looks for sustainable opportunities in all of our projects. With an already built concrete shell, we worked to have efficient lighting and air handling mostly.”
5. Is MMC an eco-conscious business? What are initiatives are in place to ensure this?
My Mexican Cousin embraces closed loop recycled.
A contemporary, versatile space, super friendly staff and a menu to die for, My Mexican Cousin certainly is one stylish spot.
Are you ready to cross the border?!
www.mymexicancousin.com.au