Timothy Alouani-Roby: Please tell me a bit about the wider site context. 

Jared Webb: Golden Avenue is located within a low-rise, heritage-protected pocket on Edward Steet in Brisbane, beside the Coal Board House. The building intentionally recedes among its neighbours. Its form reads as a collection of small towers unified by a perforated concrete shade sail. The Middle Eastern-inspired brutalist interior — composed of green-tinted concrete, pink juparana stone and dense planting — creates a verdant contrast to its concrete context. 

How does this project relate to Brisbane specifically?

Golden Avenue is a venue deeply connected to the enviable Brisbane climate. It’s unapologetically open-air and keeps diners connected to the pulse and pleasures of their surroundings.

Monolithic concrete, lush planting and shade strike a careful balance: it is immersed in Queensland’s climate, yet comfortable when the heat hits. Adjustable roofs and shutters fine-tune the mood, opening wide for winter sun or cutting glare on hotter days. 

Golden Avenue’s lush gardens are a continuance of Brisbane’s Botanical Gardens, situated just down the road. We worked closely with the landscape architect, Jala to curate a space that acts as an extension of the gardens – further anchoring site to its locale.   

Can you elaborate on the Middle Eastern inspiration?

The client brief was to “create the Queensland version of Babylon” – the mythical, tiered gardens of antiquity. The dining floor, inspired by Moroccan riads, is set away from the bustle of surrounding streets and embedded within gardens.

The venue also draws upon Donovan Hill’s ‘outdoor room’ typology, reimaging outdoor entertainment by exposing diners to light, air and greenery. Beneath skylights and seven retractable roofs, the interior remains cool and naturally lit. 

Related: Brisbane’s Glasshouse Theatre

How does this project meet different functional needs? 

We were engaged to create a dining destination that met the rigorous operator requirements of a multi-venue precinct that could be enjoyed day to night.

Behind the scenes, the client demanded slick logistics. A discrete deliveries entry is folded into the façade, keeping back-of-house circulation sharp and service invisible to the main dining areas. 

Inside, the venue flexes with the rhythm of the day: sit-down dining, elevated bar perches and communal banquets cater to everything from quick lunches to long nights. Expanded floor plates carve out larger dining terraces and generous voids, making room for mature palms and Juliet balconies primed for people-watching.

Favourite moments or details?

There are many!

In the gardens we deliberately selected imperfect, mature palm trees that twist and arch gracefully towards the sky. We also procured custom stones basins, pots and tables to give the impression they were carved from archaeological ruins, another reference to Babylon and antiquity. The pink juparana stone that permeates the site is highly robust but is also warm, beautiful and will patina gracefully over time. 

What do you hope visitors will take away from their experience?

Our practice is highly focused on legacy. We seize any opportunity to create private spaces that support public life and enhance cultural cachet. Although the project is commercial, it was deigned as a lush, shaded courtyard for the people of Brisbane. The CBD had been sorely lacking sanctioned spaces for public leisure, so we hope people appreciate the civic gesture Golden Avenue represents – a new sliver of shade amidst the concrete jungle.

J.AR OFFICE
jaroffice.com

j a l a
jalalandscape.com

Photography
Jessie Prince