Project Details

Client: Kapitol Group
Product: FireMaster Plus Fire Curtain
Fire Rating: Up to 2 hours (integrity)
Location: Waterside Hotel, Corner of Flinders and King Streets, Melbourne CBD
Application: Fire separation between lobby and public bar
Scope: Design, manufacture, and installation by Greene Fire

Project Overview

The Waterside Hotel, located on the corner of Flinders and King Streets, is one of Melbourne’s oldest licensed venues. Established in 1854, the three-storey heritage building has undergone a meticulous transformation led by Kapitol Group, reimagining the site as a multi-level dining and entertainment destination. The refurbishment sought to retain the building’s character, its exposed brickwork, timber joinery, and classic façade, while introducing contemporary performance and safety standards. Greene Fire was engaged to provide a fire protection solution that met strict compliance requirements without interfering with the interior design or heritage constraints of the structure.

The Challenge

The redevelopment of the Waterside Hotel presented several complexities unique to heritage buildings. With limited ceiling voids, narrow structural cavities, and the need to preserve original materials, conventional fire doors or bulkheads were not viable options. A key requirement of the design was to maintain clear visibility and connection between the lobby and public bar, both central gathering points within the venue. Yet these spaces also needed to be capable of immediate separation in the event of a fire, preventing smoke and flame from spreading through the ground floor. This demanded a discreet and fully automated fire curtain system, one that could deploy quickly and reliably during an emergency, but remain completely undetectable during everyday operation.

Design and Manufacturing

Drawing on years of experience delivering concealed fire protection systems for complex architectural environments, Greene Fire developed a custom FireMaster Plus configuration to suit the Waterside’s restricted ceiling depth and irregular geometry. The curtain was designed and manufactured in-house, allowing precise control over every detail, from the compact headbox dimensions to the edge sealing and fabric selection. Tested to AS 1530.4, the FireMaster Plus provides up to two hours of fire integrity, meeting the performance expectations for a high-occupancy hospitality environment. Its gravity-fail-safe mechanism ensures automatic deployment in the event of a power failure, offering dependable protection even under critical conditions.

Installation and Integration

Installation took place within tight program constraints alongside other trades working on the interior fit-out. Greene Fire’s team coordinated closely with Kapitol Group’s to integrate the system seamlessly into the existing structure. The fire curtain is housed above the passage between the lobby and public bar, recessed into a minimal bulkhead that conceals the headbox and rollers. Custom brackets were fabricated to secure the system without affecting surrounding heritage materials, ensuring all works remained fully reversible in line with heritage protection guidelines. Commissioning included comprehensive testing with the building’s fire detection system, confirming smooth, reliable deployment and automatic retraction. The result is a system that performs silently and invisibly, yet activates instantly when required — a vital layer of safety integrated with absolute discretion.

Outcome

The completed installation delivers a balance of preservation, performance, and practicality. The FireMaster Plus curtain provides robust fire and smoke separation while maintaining the open visual connection central to the Waterside Hotel’s design. In daily operation, the curtain is completely hidden from view, allowing the venue’s renewed interiors to speak for themselves. In an emergency, it activates automatically to isolate the lobby and public bar, protecting occupants and enabling safe evacuation. By merging advanced engineering with a sensitive architectural approach, Greene Fire has equipped one of Melbourne’s most historic hospitality venues with state-of-the-art fire protection, ensuring its legacy continues well into the future.

Product Overview: FireMaster Plus Fire Curtain

The FireMaster Plus is a gravity-fail-safe fire curtain designed for projects that require high performance and architectural discretion. Offering up to two hours of fire integrity, it can be installed within ceilings, bulkheads, or walls with minimal visual impact. Manufactured locally by Greene Fire, each system is engineered to order, tested to meet Australian and international standards, and tailored to integrate seamlessly into new or heritage structures.

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