In the second part of this conversation with Architect Justin Northrop, Interior Designer Dana Hutchins and Stylist Eleisha Gray, Matt and the design team get into the details of just what it took to turn this decaying shell of a building into a fully functioning Hotel.

In this double episode Matt catches up with Architect Justin Northrop, Interior Designer Dana Hutchins from Techne Architects, and Stylist Eleisha Gray to reminisce on the many and varied challenges (and joys!) of designing and renovating The Espy.

Artistic Director Janenne Willis talks to Stefan Hunt, New-York-based Australian artist about his art festival We're All Going to Die, one day into its ground-breaking run here at the Espy.

How do you shoehorn a rambling, multi-disciplanary, multi-artist, multi-room show into a heaving pub? The Espy's Artistic Director Janenne Willis tells us how. (Hint: with great difficulty... great tenacity... and great people.) This is the story of Swell 4.0 - Music as Medicine.

In Part 2 of this Podcast, after a quick drinks break, Kyrystyna Kynst, Kate Shaw and David Brand, three of the founders and key movers in The Esplanade Alliance, finish their extraordinary story about the battle to keep the Espy alive.

We're joined by Kyrystyna Kynst, Kate Shaw and David Brand, three of the founders and key movers in The Esplanade Alliance, the community action group that fought a pitched battle to save The Espy from development and potential demolition during the 1990's.

Opening night finally arrives! With Matt and the boys somewhat preoccupied running the pub, Emma Race and friends step into the Espy's Podcast Studio and chat to a wild array of curious cats, as they wander through the Grand Old Girl.

Amongst the chaos of Opening Day, Skunkhour drop by; the builders who renovated The Espy stop for a quick chat; and Kill Dirty Youth take a break from sound-checking in the basement to talk about what The Espy means to them.

Espy Artistic Director Janenne Willis takes a quick break from creating her own ground-breaking art, and a lifetime supporting other artists' endeavours, to chat about the artistic program she's creating here at the Hotel Esplanade.

Immigrant, entrepreneur, art-lover and philanthropist Alfred Felton moved into the Hotel Esplanade in 1891. When he died at the Hotel in 1904 he left a legacy that forever changed the face of Melbourne, and sent shockwaves through the international art world.