Circular Thinking: Coopers Brewery’s Brand Home in Adelaide.

At the new Coopers Brewery Brand Home at Regency Park in Adelaide, Studio Nine Architects and Studio Gram have reimagined what a contemporary brewing destination can be while honouring the legacy of Australia’s oldest family-owned brewery.

This $70 million centre isn’t your average brewery tour experience. No, sir. The project offers a journey through 162 years of brewing heritage, housed in a building that’s as precisely crafted as the beer itself.

The distinctive circular structure (a nod to Coopers’ iconic roundel logo) sits prominently at the intersection of two major roads, reclaiming what was once private corporate landscape as a public experience.

At its core, the project skilfully balances technical brewing requirements with an inviting, guest-centred design. The radial layers of the building each reveal different aspects of the Coopers experience—from restaurant and bar to private tasting room, interactive museum and microbrewery.

Light On Tap: Modus Brewery in Newcastle by Prevalent.

It's not often that the word 'tranquil' comes to mind when describing a brewery, yet for this reimagined post-war shed in Newcastle, Prevalent managed to achieve an elusive sense of serenity.

The material palette speaks volumes about the brand’s identity—robust and no-nonsense, with a continuous curved concrete façade defining the building. Inside, the ephemeral cast glass walls in the tasting room shift with light, creating that weightless elegance that makes you want to linger a little longer. Australian hardwoods add warmth while hints of copper and stainless steel reference the brewing process. It’s honest materiality at its finest.

Perhaps the most literal expression of the project’s narrative is the 50m glazed bridge housing an interactive Coopers history display. Not just eye candy, it doubles as an infrastructure conduit linking brewery systems to the distillery—form and function in perfect harmony.

Speaking of which—did you know this project marks Coopers’ first foray into whisky production? The underground stillage for 5,000 whisky barrels sits directly beneath the centre, a technical achievement that required meticulous planning to safely store nearly one million litres of barrel-strength whisky so close to public areas.

The resulting space feels both timeless and absolutely contemporary. Massive respect to the entire team for creating what will undoubtedly become not just a national landmark, but a destination of international significance.

Bath & Barley: First Belgian Beer Spa in Brussels by WeWantMore.

WeWantMore has elevated the humble ‘beer spa’ in Brussels. The space playfully straddles both wellness and pub in a design that celebrates all things bathing and Belgium’s infamous beer heritage.

[Images courtesy of Studio Gram. Photography by Timothy Kaye.]