Kristyn Comino
30 July 2015: Paying homage to the golden age of American cinema, while providing a fresh venue that fits Canberra's current aesthetic, the University of Canberra's newest campus bar The Well is now open.
Located under the Cooper Lodge accommodation building in the heart of campus, The Well is named after famed US filmmaker the late Orson Welles, with its cinematic Canberra cool vibe designed to appeal to students first and foremost, but also cater to staff, alumni and the community.
- The Well will be officially launched on Monday 3 August from 6pm with a getaway car, the unveiling of its outdoor cinema, live rockabilly music, roller derby waiters and free food and drinks. Please RSVP via email to: thewell@canberra.edu.au
Built from the ground up largely by students and alumni, the 295 square metre establishment features custom-made sleek silver and wooden finishes that were created on campus, with the bar running the gamut of the back wall and hand-crafted benches and stools lining the glass windows.
The mood is dark and edgy, with red pool tables nestled alongside quirky local art adorning the walls. There's also a restaurant on-site serving photogenic food to feast on inspired by Americana (think mini-hotdogs) and beverages ranging from film-themed cocktails to well-priced basics.
The director of this production was bar designer and manager Pat Rose, who graduated from the University with a Bachelor of Arts in Architecture in April and was previously the brains behind nightlife spot The Chop Shop. The 22-year-old was approached by the University of Canberra Union in February to bring the space under Cooper Lodge on Telita Street to life.
"I'm very proud of how The Well has turned out. It looks great and it's just going to keep getting better," Mr Rose said. "The central driving force behind the bar is student engagement so that's what we are focusing on. In saying that, we also want to be a versatile place that provides high quality service for staff, alumni and the community and are hoping to hold our own in the Belconnen market."
"We want to provide a place for students to come for things like themed parties, trivia, watch movies on the outdoor cinema and just have a cool spot on campus to find value for money food and drinks and have a good time. We'd also like this to be a place where students can host their own events, I want to say to them: 'this is your bar – own it'," he said.
Having used the skills he learnt at the University to put the bar together, Mr Rose said his architecture degree was an ideal mix of practical and theoretical learning.
"It was fun. I love architecture and I was really happy with the University of Canberra degree, it was a great experience. I found UC helps people discover their raw, creative, vision while also providing the underlying structural and technology training."
The Well even has its own logo called Orson, another nod to cinema great Mr Welles. The cartoon character was designed by Bachelor of Graphic Design/Bachelor of Advertising Communication student Chelsea Agno, an Adobe student representative who has established a profile under the moniker Mr Manok.
"It's pretty cool to be able to say I've designed the logo for a bar while I'm a student, it's turned out really well in the space and I couldn't be happier with it," the 20-year-old said. "I went with a cartoon-style character because I'm a little kid at heart, that's just my style, I like to have fun."
"Studying graphic design at UC has given me a purpose and a drive. It's been good to find something that interests me and be able to focus on that," Ms Agno added.
The Well is largely staffed by students and Mr Rose had help from them and alumni to put it together. Industrial design graduates Josh Selleck, Tom Skeehan, and Sam Tomkins helped build the furnishings, while established artists and graduates George Rose and Josh Barlow decorated the establishment and media arts and production student Vincent Bettins helped train staff.
You can drop into The Well from 12pm-late, seven days a week, under Cooper Lodge on Telita Street at the University of Canberra.
