The cafe sits at the confluence of two important fashion strips. The fashion quarter has become a style destination for top Australian labels and the cafe is favourably positioned as a place to stop and pause, a social gathering space that amalgamates the Australian ideals of outdoor living with cutting edge fashion trends. Influenced by avant-garde design the undulating roof evokes dynamism and movement informed by the lines characteristics of the contemporary garments displayed in the adjacent stores.
The roof is designed to protect the outdoor courtyard from adverse weather conditions and provide shelter throughout the day in Summer when the sun is directly overhead. While the northern edge delivers reflected sunlight into the courtyard all year round, in the wintertime the afternoon sun is welcomed from the West where the opening up of the roof draws sunlight deeper into the café.
The complex geometry of the shell drives the structural behaviour. The diagrams shown represent the nature of the curvature over the whole surface, splitting by concavity - convexity the surface. The roof shell is supported at four points, partially supported by the existing building and one free-standing support which extends down to touch the street frontage.
CONTRERAS EARL Architecture
Client: Private
Structural & Building Engineers : Newtecnic [London - UK]
