Jimmy’s on the Mall – Brisbane, Australia

Hey there! How is it going? Hope everyone is doing fine during these strange times…Remember, it is always good to go out and have some fresh air! It can completely change your mood, and perhaps your day.

Talking on fresh air…Nothing better than being able to go shopping outdoors right? Nothing against the shopping centres, but I personally have always felt much better in Street Malls than in enclosed Shopping Centres. What about you?

There’s a particular Street Mall I would like to talk about in this commemorative post, as our blog has now been online for one year and reached more than 5.000 page views. Yay!!! Queen St. Mall, located in Brisbane (Australia) plays a very important role in the city’s commercial life and also cultural identity. In times like these, when viruses are a major threat, street malls are definitely a good solution. Queen St. Mall houses dozens of different retail and hospitality shops, the most diverse ones, from Chanel to Hungry Jacks. However, there is this special one I’d like to talk about in more details, the very cute restaurant Jimmy’s on the Mall.

View of Queen Street, 1898. Source: https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/queen-street-mall-through-the-years-20120224-1tscy.html

Night view of Queen Street, Brisbane, ca. 1959. Source: https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/queen-street-mall-through-the-years-20120224-1tscy.html

Queen St. Mall nowadays. Source: The author’s personal gallery.

Jimmy’s on the mall has been in Queen St. Mall since 1982, when the mall was first created. Off course, it changed a lot since then. In 2014 it was actually completely redesigned by BVN Architects, acquiring the very minimal, green and sophisticated look it has today. A very good example of Brisbane’s Contemporary Architecture scene in my opinion. However, it always kept the initial concept of an outdoor restaurant, actually the first one on Queen St. Mall.

Queen St. Mall nowadays. Source: The author’s personal gallery.

Queen St. Mall nowadays. Source: The author’s personal gallery.

Jimmy’s on the Mall on Queen St. Mall, perspective facing South. Source: The author’s personal galley.

Jimmy’s on the Mall’s bar. Source: http://www.jimmysonthemall.com.au/about-us/

Jimmy’s on the Mall at night. Source: http://www.jimmysonthemall.com.au/about-us/

I consider this project as a good example of integration of private and public spaces, without visible borders and offering a privileged view of Brisbane’s CBD main street. It allows us to keep a constant visual contact with the exterior using a light structure which blends very well with the greenery special touch. I myself have been a couple times to this place and I got to confess it is a lovely feeling.

Even though a concrete structure was used, the way it was designed, with the circles inserted in the very thin top slab makes it look light and and pleasant to the eyes. It reminds me actually of some beautiful contemporary concrete look Brazilian architecture, yes we love concrete structures! Lol! It is probably due to our strong Modern Architecture influences, material availability and off course a much cheaper labor cost compared to Australian standards.

The Toblerone House designed by Studio MK27, is a Brazilian architectural example of similar structural and aesthetic approach as found in Jimmy’s on the mall. Completed in 2011 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, the concrete structure house seats lightly over the ground supported by slim concrete columns. Warmth was added to the overall composition through the vertical timber shutters, which have also delicate thickness size as observed through the following images.

The Toblerone House by Studio MK27. Source: http://studiomk27.com.br/toblerone/#3

The Toblerone House by Studio MK27. Source: http://studiomk27.com.br/toblerone/#3

The Toblerone House by Studio MK27. Source: http://studiomk27.com.br/toblerone/#3

Well, once you’re in Brisbane, I would really recommend going for a walk along Queen St. Mall and enjoy the local vibes, just watching people passing by or even, with luck, seeing a nice artistic performance which are common around this area. By the way, Jimmy’s on the mal is open 7 days per week serving drinks and food during the entire day. Enjoy it! 🙂

Jimmy’s on the Mall on Queen St. Mall, lateral side. Source: The author’s personal galley.

Jimmy’s on the Mall sign. Source: The author’s personal gallery.

*All the images in this post belongs to the writer´s personal gallery and correspond to intellectual property, otherwise as noted.

Important Sources:

https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/queen-street-mall-through-the-years-20120224-1tscy.html

http://www.bvn.com.au/

http://studiomk27.com.br/toblerone/#3

http://www.jimmysonthemall.com.au/about-us/