A development application was lodged yesterday for a family friendly bistro/tavern at Sunrise Beach. The proposed bistro would be located on vacant land on Bayshore Drive, on the same side as Ozigo but at the opposite end near the railway crossing.
The bistro, which for now has been named “The Sun” is intended for local Sunrise Beach residents and people working and living in the Byron Arts and Industry Estate. The Sun would comprise a bistro, bar, children’s playground, landscaped gardens, a small bottle shop with drive through, parking for 61 cars and 30 bicycles and storage and service areas.
“Our design approach considers the whole site and how this development can contribute to the emerging character of Bayshore Drive” said architect Dan Connolly.
Connolly, from the Byron office of Troppo Architects (Australia’s third most awarded architectural practice ever) has designed the bistro. He received the Northern Rivers Urban Design Awards Award for Excellence for his design of the commercial and residential development on the corner of Bay and Fletcher Streets in Byron Bay. The building was awarded for its contribution to public space.
“The Sun Bistro has a scale and form that is evocative of the local climate and the way we live” said Connolly. “Angled rooflines will offer daylight and ventilation and the verandahs this creates will offer shelter and shade. The main feature is a large elevated deck facing north into the Tyagarah Nature Reserve, away from the street, where locals can enjoy the beauty of the setting and watch their children play in the fully fenced and shaded playground and landscaped gardens”.
The landscape design includes the weaving of local and regional sculptural and artistic works across the site and into the building. Merran Morrison and Rebecca Townsend, Directors of ARTSCAPE: The Nature of Sculpture have been engaged to work with The Sun Bistro to provide the link to regional artists to produce integrated site specific artworks.
“Increasingly people ascribe value to artistic excellence, sense of place and distinctive environments” said Rebecca Townsend. “Our clients including The Sun Bistro are committed to engaging artists for high quality design outcomes.”
A great advantage of the site is its size, according to Dan Connolly. “At nearly two acres we can retain large areas of existing coastal vegetation, but the key attraction is most definitely the landscaped play area. The idea was to create informal play opportunities for all ages, so the overall outlook from the Bistro was that of an attractive landscape design rather than a playground, with views through to the nature reserve areas beyond”.
The total floor area of the building, at 960m² including decks, would cover 12.6% of the 7,749m² site. Feature materials include recycled timber posts, beams, steps and decking around the verandah and local stone walls. “We hope that the street frontage, with the existing wetland retained and visible, is seen as an inviting and safe contribution to Bayshore Drive” said Connolly.
A previous similar DA for this site was approved by Byron Shire Council in 2008.
The proposed bistro and drive through bottle shop hours are 10:00am – 10:00pm, with extended hours of 10:00am until midnight on Friday and Saturday nights.