Fancy dining amidst butterflies? Or quirky and bold street art?
Monash has taken its outdoor dining precinct to new heights, with individually designed art adorning each outdoor dining area.
In Clayton it's sassy and street-smart walkers depicted on the concrete barriers, echoing the busy and vibrant precinct. Head over to Hughesdale and its soothing blues and greens, featuring leaves and flowers. In Kingsway, there's a bounty of butterflies recognising that after a difficult year, businesses and residents are emerging from the cocoon of lockdown and embracing life and community, and eager to support local businesses.
Street artists Carla Gottgens created the street feet (in Haughton Road, Clayton), and flower and leaf design (Poath Road, Hughesdale) and Monash Council's Lead Graphic Artist Fari Malek designed the butterflies (Kingsway, Glen Waverley).
For several businesses in Oakleigh, the concrete safety barriers have been painted white with a strip of black, blue, or purple to match the exterior of the buildings they are in front of.
Mayor Brian Little said Council wanted to use art elements in its outdoor dining to create a point of difference for diners.
"We wanted to create an experience for people visiting our dining precincts, and felt this was a real opportunity to support and showcase artists who have had it tough during the pandemic," Cr Little said.
"Monash's dining precincts are unique, and our treatment of the outdoor dining precincts reflect that.
"This is a time when we have emerged from lockdown and we are returning to the things we love to do, and in Monash dining out at our fantastic restaurants and cafes is one of those things. It's great to see these fantastic art works in our dining precincts, bringing life and colour to these areas."
Council installed water or concrete barriers in all its outdoor dining precincts as a safety precaution to ensure diners using the areas had greater protection from passing traffic.
