NEW DIMENSIONS
20 Sep 2011
Wining and dining has never been as stylish as it is in this Sunshine Coast venue
New dimensions
Wining and dining has never been as stylish as it is in this Sunshine Coast venue
An unused and neglected area of the Key Bar and Restaurant near Maleny, one of the Sunshine Coast’s most popular towns, has been transformed into a beautiful and successful function area.
The client approached Lindsay Pratt of Harmony Landscapes to demolish their existing front yard and create a new entry to the shopping precinct as well as a new stage and reception area. Lindsay worked closely with Marc Conlon of Conlon Birrell Landscape Architects and the client, the Ryan Group, throughout the project and it was this collaboration that ensured a very successful result.
The journey begins at the street, where a stone-tiled pathway lit by bollard lights leads into the restaurant and underneath into the functions area. Curved and rendered block walls provide an entry and focal point and create an amphitheatre effect that acts as a backdrop to the stage area.
“We also created a turfed space between the stage and gazebo where people can be seated, and we transformed the reception area from an unusable and neglected space under the restaurant balcony into a stone-tiled seating area overlooking the stage,” adds Lindsay. “Timber screens are used to camouflage the adjacent rooms and timber benches provide seating,” he adds.
Lindsay points out that the correct use and choice of materials was important to the overall outcome and that close cooperation with Marc Conlon meant the very best in design and construction was achieved. Natural split stone laid in a modular pattern was used in the paved areas and a Bisazza tile was selected for the curved block wall in the stage area. Dressed hardwood was used for the screens and benches.
“Outdoor lighting has been used extensively from the entry into the shopping precinct, restaurant and functions area. In the evening the stage area is magically transformed by the lighting effects. The Bisazza tiles sparkle from reflected light and the whole area becomes a visual delight from the upstairs restaurant,” says Lindsay.
The plants have been selected to reflect the character of the Maleny region and to frame and enclose the area from the road and shopping precinct. Subsurface and stormwater drains ensure adequate drainage and an automatic irrigation system was installed to the turf and gardens.
As it is hard to find tradespeople who are prepared to use many of the landscape products, such as the split-stone tiles and the Bisazza tiles, Lindsay has built up a team with the range and skills needed to do the work in-house — and to the quality he expects.
As a result of such a meticulous approach to construction, what was previously a sloping site with the usual “accidental garden” has been transformed into the perfect setting for functions, adding a whole new dimension to the restaurant.