Located at idyllic Shoal Bay, NSW, Australia, Atmos Restaurant is a contemporary seaside Greek Restaurant extending over 400sqm of sitting and service area.
The restaurant hosts a central bar area and an open kitchen, serving indoors and outdoors dining areas. The design principle was to create an awareness of a unified space, yet distinguished by varying degrees of privacy. The architectural proposal employed a contemporary aesthetic based on the natural set up of a Cycladic landscape. Sand and wood predominate under the prevailing sunlight with fabric textures used to provide shade. This stark interplay of smooth and hard textures pervades the design for the creation of a luxurious yet intimate milieu.
The architectural proposal attempts to emulate the Greek-island experience of spending the day at a beach bar. There, the proximity of the sea is ubiquitous and shelters from the sun create the dominant morphologies. Built-in furniture and rough finishes predominate the design as their durability requirements are crucial in an outdoors setting.
The main architectural challenge came in dealing with the existing enclosed shell of the restaurant. We divided the space into different areas with the bar at the centre, the kitchen at the back, and dining areas around the bar and front. The aim was to take full advantage of the stunning sea views.
Traditional Greek Cycladic construction techniques and materials, such as cement mortar, wood, and fabric were employed. Traditional pergolas define the smaller enclosures, securing some privacy and intimacy to diners. These divisions break the effect of the original linear spatial layout, without negating the awareness of the overall environment.
