Honeydripper by Claire Markwick-Smith
Located at the base of Crown Towers in Adelaide’s CBD, Honeydripper is a dual-level vinyl listening lounge shaped around sound, tactility and the slower rituals of 1970s lounging culture.
Designed by Claire Markwick-Smith in collaboration with Gonzo Group, the venue transforms an empty shell of concrete and glass into an immersive interior that feels warm, familiar and deliberately removed from the pace of the city outside.
Honeydripper is conceived as a place to pause, recline and listen, with every element contributing to a sensory experience grounded in comfort. Walnut veneer, honey-toned leather, houndstooth upholstery and metal tables form a palette that feels both curated and gently worn in. Pops of colour and patterned textiles soften the building’s hard architectural base, while low lighting gives the interior a cinematic glow. At the centre of the experience is the sound of vinyl, played through a custom resin turntable that reinforces the venue’s nostalgic character.
Across both levels, advanced acoustic engineering is integrated with specialised and custom sound apparatus, allowing the interior to function as more than a visually evocative lounge. Each surface was considered for how it holds, absorbs or carries sound. This attention allows the space to maintain a careful balance between intimacy and energy, supporting focused listening while still accommodating the social nature of a bar. The acoustic strategy also responds to the venue’s public frontage and the spaces above it, ensuring the listening environment remains controlled without feeling overly technical.
The planning is arranged around two distinct atmospheres. On the lower level, a generous and symmetrical lounge encourages longer stays and shared listening. Seating is composed to create a sense of ease, with the bar and circulation shaped by the existing concrete columns. These structural elements become part of the interior language, framing moments across the room and giving order to the space.
Above, the mezzanine shifts into a more intimate, club-like setting. The change in scale creates a subtle transition from open lounge to enclosed retreat, allowing guests to experience the venue in different ways throughout the day and night. The relationship between the two levels gives Honeydripper its spatial depth, moving from communal ease to a more private sense of immersion.
Honeydripper also carries a strong connection to Adelaide’s creative community through custom pieces made by local makers, artists and craftspeople. Wall lights fabricated from leftover metal offcuts and feature moments formed from recycled HDPE introduce resourcefulness into the design, while giving the interior a specificity tied to its city. These details bring texture and local authorship into the space, reinforcing the sense that the venue has been assembled through touch, craft and careful consideration.
By day, Honeydripper offers a quiet reset, with Venetian blinds filtering views of passersby and softening the boundary between interior and street. By night, it becomes a destination for disconnection, inviting guests to settle into the glow of the room and the warmth of analogue sound. Through its material richness, acoustic precision and layered nostalgia, Honeydripper creates an interior that asks its audience to slow down, shut out the city and listen.
