projects
Heritage Coffee, Ōtepoti
Heritage Coffee occupies the ground floor of the former Donald Reid Building (c.1884), on the corner of Jetty & Vogel Streets in Dunedin’s warehouse precinct.
The project involved the full interior design, spatial layout & fit-out of the café.
The wider building restoration was carried out between 2015–2017.
Working in close alignment with the architectural approach by McCoy Wixon, the interior design was conceived to respect the building’s industrial heritage while introducing warmth, clarity, and durability.
Original brick and plaster walls were left exposed and sealed, with a restrained material palette that allowed the building’s history to remain legible.
Industrial steel detailing carries through the interior, softened by dark petrol tufted banquette seating, bespoke oak tables & counters & carefully weighted colour.
Repurposed 1930s Dunedin street lights were reworked as feature lighting, grounding the space firmly in its local context.
McCoy Wixon won a Heritage Reuse Award in 2019 for their work on this building & it has been covered in Neat Places, Architecture Now & Urbis Magazine.
Vogel St Kitchen, Ōtepoti
Vogel St Kitchen occupies a former printer’s warehouse (c.1896) and is widely regarded as one of Dunedin’s most significant hospitality spaces — a project that helped catalyse the revitalisation of the Warehouse Precinct.
The project involved the interior design, spatial planning, and full fit-out of a large, high-use café across two levels. While the building underwent major heritage restoration in 2014, the interior was conceived to balance industrial robustness with warmth, clarity, and long-term durability.
Structural and steel strengthening works were undertaken by Zealsteel, with technical drawings by Low Rise Design.
The interior layout, detailing, and fit-out elements were conceived by Riah.
Material decisions were guided by restraint and longevity. Recycled timbers were used throughout, including windows, doors, and large bespoke communal tables crafted by JP Quality Kitchens.
A limited palette, layered textures, local art, and carefully integrated vintage elements soften the scale of the space while maintaining a clear connection to the building’s industrial history.
With seating for approximately 120 across two levels, Vogel St Kitchen is a Dunedin icon — large, constantly busy, and hard-working.
More than a decade on, the interior continues to perform exceptionally well, remaining layered, resilient, and unmistakably timeless.
Vogel St Kitchen has been covered in Neat Places, Architecture Now, Mindfood Magazine, Sunday Star Times & Kia Ora Magazine.
interested in starting a project?
let’s talk.
Riah McLean Design - Ōtepoti
Photography - Isabella Harrex