District Bar

District Bar is Adelaide's first brew pub: a two-level outdoor bar and live music venue built around Australia's first fully operational microbrewery inside a casino. Delivered as part of SkyCity Adelaide's $330 million transformation, it occupies an internal courtyard on Level 1 of the casino, within a state heritage listed building.

The design leans into an industrial, rustic patina that celebrates the surrounding mechanical ductwork and the existing fabric of the heritage structure. A new mezzanine level and roof were created from a modular steel system fabricated offsite, with a 250-tonne crane lifting each unit into place, including steel columns, floor and roof modules, the brew house kit, keg room components and oversized fit-out items.

Operated by Pirate Life Brewing, the microbrewery is visible across both floors, and surrounding spaces open onto the feature keg room so the beer making process reads as theatre. Three 500-litre fermenters hold the beer until it is ready to pour, while the mezzanine carries utilities such as an electric boiler, refrigeration unit and a reverse osmosis plant. Pirate Life's full range is available on tap, alongside beers brewed on site for the venue.

A main bar sits on the lower level with a second bar on the mezzanine, which also offers elevated views over the stage and big screen and a VIP viewing deck. Upgraded live music infrastructure supports local performers, a Pirate Life merchandise wall and branded vending machine feature on the lower level, and local artists have been invited to paint the courtyard walls over time. District Bar forms part of the wider District precinct, which unifies the former Oasis Outdoor Bar, Grandstand Sports Bar, Paddy Macs Dining and surrounding spaces into a single entertainment destination.

Architecture and interior design by Studio Nine Architects. Photography by David Sievers.