arlier in the year we put up a news piece about a development in the city called Little Hero 2. Initiated by Melanie Katsalidis and her jewellery and object gallery, Pieces of Eight has just opened its shiny new doors on Russell Place in Little Hero 2, just down the road from Sarti and Gin Palace.

With big, gold garlands hanging from the circular, compass-like entry, the space is grander and a lot larger than the studio and gallery in North Fitzroy, and has been designed with her father, renowned architect Nonda Katsalidis. The building, which used to be an open-air carpark, is the new home to a number of shops and cafes with an apartment building on top.

The whole development is quite a talking point as it's the first residential site to be built using a new Unitised Building System, where self-contained apartments are constructed off site and craned into place. On the bottom floor PO8 take up two levels; the bottom the gallery and client consultation room, upstairs the office and workshop space for two jewellers.

The gallery has introduced 20 new artists and silversmiths, housing at total of 52 markers in total. The works will be exclusive to the gallery in Victoria, with both Australian and international artists on display.
P08 is the first to move into Little Hero 2, with Fat soon to follow and a cafe by Con Christopoulos and a French cognac bar on the cards early in 2011.

Katsalidis also plans to launch an online gallery titled X Marks the Spot, early next year. Keep your eyes and ears peeled and get down to Russell Place to check out the new Pieces of Eight Gallery which opened this week.

We have featured PO8 jeweller Lucy Folk in our summer print issue, out now!

Pieces of Eight Gallery
28 Russell Place, Melbourne
(03) 9497 8121

piecesofeight.com.au