Breathing Life into a Still Image: Visualising the Iconic Prahran Hotel in 3D
Melbourne’s architecture is instantly recognisable – there’s a reason the city is one of the most celebrated cultural centres in the world. Gabriel Saunders contribute to this landscape by creating highly detailed and realistic 3D imagery for developers and architects to bring to life. These 3D renders can feel so lifelike that some people find it hard to tell the difference between their creations and photos of the finished development.
In celebration of ten years of business, Costa Gabriel and Veronica Saunders are revisiting landmark projects for the studio over that time and the stories behind them starting with one of their earliest and most iconic projects – the Prahran Hotel.
The redevelopment of this beloved pub was one of Gabriel Saunders’ earliest projects back in 2012, and it stands as one of their favourites. Back then, Veronica and Costa were only two years into running the company, but their learnings from this project are reflected in the meticulous detail and creative visualisation of every render that has followed.
A contemporary render for a visionary client
Engaged for the ambitious redesign of the Prahran Hotel was Techne Architects, who were chosen by the adventurous owners of the pub, Sand Hill Road.
Techne have designed some of the most stunning and creative hospitality venues in Melbourne, from Hotel Esplanade to Garden State Hotel. It’s likely that you’ve enjoyed their work in some of Melbourne’s beloved pubs without even realising it.
‘We are incredible fans of Techne’s work to this day,’ said Veronica when asked about working with the esteemed architects. ‘Their designs are contemporary, fresh, elaborate and fun. They’re absolute risk-takers who bring life and personality to every building.’
With the Prahran Hotel, Techne wanted to add a new style to an established building. The team designed a striking façade comprising of stacked concrete piping, with cylindrical elements repeated throughout the building.
‘We were inspired by Techne’s timeless architectural style, and their succinct and unique design plans,’ says Costa. ‘At the time, this kind of design was only seen overseas, so we were excited to bring the concept to life in Melbourne.’ Through artful 3D rendering, Gabriel Saunders knew that they could encapsulate Techne’s vision to get the final green light for development. Whilst the redevelopment was a sizeable project, Gabriel Saunders was not concerned with the cost of the build. ‘We love not knowing these things,’ said Costa. ‘We focus on celebrating the image, rather than doing any number-crunching. These numbers are critical in development, but not as much in the design world – we rely on our clients to give us an idea of scope and demographic, and that’s what we work off.’
Breathing life into a still image
As with any project, there were several challenges Gabriel Saunders had to overcome in bringing the concept to life.
‘For us, the biggest hurdle was activating the image,’ said Veronica. ‘The developers wanted the render to look alive and moving, like a busy pub. We considered adding people in the windows, but eventually decided against it – these things often end up looking unnatural.’
Instead, Gabriel Saunders brought the space to life by integrating movement in the foreground – adding blurred lights from passing cars and warm interior light through the windows. This method conveyed the buzzing atmosphere of the pub and surrounding precinct, without looking too forced.
When faced with such challenges, Veronica and Costa’s unique professional background make them expert problem-solvers. With prior experience in interior design and architecture, they bring a practical and grounded perspective to the image creation process.
‘Our background gives us an insight into the processes behind every step of the big picture, and we are proactive in our approach,’ said Costa. ‘Crucially, we operate from a position of trust between us and our clients – we explore and embrace ideas and possibilities and ensure that our clients are in safe hands.’
Working in harmony from conception to completion
Once the redevelopment of the Prahran Hotel was complete, the talented Peter Clarke was engaged to shoot the final photography. Peter was shown Gabriel Saunders’s initial render and carefully curated his photograph to match it.
‘We actually did the reverse before we visualised our render,’ said Veronica. ‘We found out who the photographer would be and took into account his typical lighting, angles and dimensions before we even started work on the project. We still use this process today - the extra research ensures that our process is collaborative, and that we are working in harmony with the other artist to create a streamlined, holistic result for the client.’
Looking at the initial renders and final photography of the iconic pub, the similarities are astounding.
‘From the beginning to the end of the process, the design changed very minimally – whilst timber cladding was added where glass was initially imagined and the concrete structures are a little less recessed, the final product looks largely the same as our renders,’ said Costa.
‘The first time we put the images side-by-side after the project was completed, we realised it was a very powerful tool to explain our approach.’
Veronica agrees. ‘It’s still incredibly exciting all these years later to see our visions brought to life. The process is thrilling both for us and for architects and developers, who get to hold on to the renders that represent the first stages of their ideas coming to life,’ she said.
10 years on – reflecting on growth, change and development
Looking back on the Prahran Hotel render now, are there elements that the duo would change if they had their time again?
‘Of course!’ laughs Veronica. ‘It’s hard not to pick flaws in your previous work, and over the years we’ve developed such a critical eye. Our team has grown, and our review process has expanded. But we are still so proud of this project, and the seeds it has sowed in enabling our business to work with a consistently high calibre of clients.’
Costa recounts a recent trip to the Prahran Hotel where he and Veronica met with other 3D visualisers in the community.
‘Walking into the venue all these years on, we were still awestruck that we had been a part of bringing this beautiful pub to life,’ he said. ‘Design is such a long process, so it is immensely satisfying to see how right we got some elements, and the way our research and hard work paid off.’
‘Experiencing the final product helps us to analyse the process and take learnings from that into future projects – we are always learning so that we can continue to refine our approach and produce incredible work for our clients.’
In celebration of ten years of business, Costa Gabriel and Veronica Saunders are revisiting landmark projects for the studio over that time and comparing the renders to how the project evolved in the built work.