Historic Chapel Street building for sale for $15 million
His favorite Revolver story came about while chatting to Scottish DJ Denis Sulta at a gig in Melbourne.
“After his first visit there, he spent a little over 40 hours there one weekend and proudly showed me the Revs tattoo he got,” Falkenstein said. “For a world-renowned DJ to have his name tattooed on himself after a good weekend, I think it really means a lot.”
The interior of Colonel Tan in Revolver.
Falkenstein said the sale was motivated by Punturaumporn’s desire to return to Thailand to pursue philanthropic and spiritual opportunities, and that he wanted to make life easier for Falkenstein’s parents, who also have a share in the property.
“We felt like there would be a new person who would want to play the role of the host and be that character in the Revolver story,” he said. “We think it’s a much more interesting place to invest in property than a mansion in Toorak.”
Falkenstein said ensuring Revolver had tenure security was an important part of putting the building on the market.
“The decision regarding the future of Revolver actually belongs to Revolver, but we do not see anything changing,” he said.
Pistol nightclub owner Camillo Ippoliti.Credit: Chris Hopkins
The building was listed over the weekend and will go up for auction on November 14.
Sean Cussell of Christie’s International, one of the agents, said there had already been strong interest from interstate and overseas buyers.
“If the walls could talk, there would be so much history here,” he said. “It’s not like it’s a heritage building with a history that dates back hundreds of years; it has a really interesting cultural history in Melbourne and that’s what makes it an iconic asset.”
Despite the sale, Revolver is likely to continue operating as a nightclub for the foreseeable future due to its valuable 24-hour licence, Cussell said.
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“It will be up to the new owner to decide what the future of the entire building is,” he said. “Of course, it could be a much larger entertainment venue. It could also be a restaurant or food and beverage industry. It could even be a private luxury hotel. It could even be a residential conversion.”
Built in 1914, it forms part of the heritage-listed Colosseum buildings.
It initially operated as a department store and later doubled as a secretarial and secretarial office.
commercial college, parachute factory, bakery, music rehearsal and shop areas.
Punturaumporn and Ippoliti have been contacted for comment.
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