Designed by Tracey Collins and her team of Pacific Environments Architects Yellow Treehouse Restaurant was build for the Yellow Pages. This natural treetop restaurant stands up a redwood tree in a forest near Warkworth, north of Auckland, New Zealand. It was built in 2008 – 2009. The concept of this cool restaurant design is driven by the ‘enchanted’ site which is raised above an open meadow and meandering stream on the edge of the woods.
The tree-house concept is reminiscent of childhood dreams and playtime, fairy stories of enchantment and imagination . It’s inspired through many forms found in nature -the chrysalis/cocoon protecting the emerging butterfly/moth, perhaps an onion/garlic clove form hung out to dry. It is also seen as a lantern, a beacon at night that simply glows yet during the day it might be a semi camouflaged growth, or a tree fort that provides an outlook and that offers refuge.The plan form also has loose similarities to a sea shell with the open ends spiralling to the centre.
This is a small restaurant with the capacity of just 18 seats on a Redwood tree at 10m wide and over 12m high with split-level floor sitting 10m above the ground, It is sustainably constructed from timber trusses forming the main structure and curved glue-laminated pine fins and poplar slats to give it form. Windows are created by leaving spaces between the slats/fins that keeps the overall form yet affords a variety of permability for the views and light. Access to the restaurant is via a 60m tree-top ‘accessible’ walkway –an adventure in itself.
AWARDS
New Zealand Institute of Architects Branch Award
New Zealand Institute of Design – BEST Awards; Gold Award
New Zealand Institue of Building; Excellence Award
Architects: Pacific Environments
Project Managers: The Building Intelligence Group
Building Contractors: NZ Strong
Project year: 2008-2009
