Darwin Signature Restaurant

This unbuilt work is a competition entry for the TOGA Darwin City Waterfront Signature Restaurant. From the sea the restaurant appears as a soft-edged plume of reddish smoke or dust, referencing bush fires and burn-offs, dust storms, and the iconic plume of dust blowing out from under the wheels of a 4 wheel drive. The patterning and translucency of the large screens reveals the structure and activity within and makes reference to woven fish traps, cross-hatched bark paintings and x-ray art.

The restaurant interior provides a tropical ambience with 5 metre high ceilings and wide ocean views through the protective screens. The large screens reduce glare from the surrounding water into sparkling particles of light, and cast decorative patterned shadows into the interior. At night time, the effect will be reversed and the building will be a glowing lantern.