Design HQ
Project Location:
Maxwell Road, Blenheim
Categories:
Commercial Architectural Excellence
Project Description:
This project was for the design of an Asian Fusion style restaurant to replace one previously damaged by fire on the periphery of the Blenheim CBD and on a main arterial route to the southern suburbs. The previous building was an iconic part of Blenheim’s history, although was not formally historically rated, so any new building needed to respect the historical significance of the site to the local community.
The client’s brief was to design a building that “had a modern Zen feeling about it” and enabled the designer to draw inspiration from time spent living in a village in the Japanese Alps. Our solution was a modern interpretation of a traditional Japanese Samurai house.
The use of an exposed timber structural system has given this building a definite oriental flavor without being a replica or imitation of a traditional style building. The use of dowel joints also enhances the Asian feeling of the environment, reflecting the structural methods of traditional Zen temples and shrines.