brisbane’s Golden Avenue transformed
Golden Avenue, designed by J.AR OFFICE, has opened as a new hospitality destination for the heart of Brisbane’s CBD neighborhood. The multi-level restaurant and bar precinct is conceived as a lush courtyard for the city, combining architecture, interiors, and landscape to create an urban sanctuary within a dense commercial district.
The project is operated by the hospitality group Anyday, which calls for the venue to introduces a spatial typology that emphasizes openness, greenery, and climate-responsive design rather than enclosed dining environments typical of the CBD.
images © Jessie Prince
Context and Architectural Strategy
Golden Avenue occupies a low-rise, heritage-protected pocket of Brisbane, adjacent to historic buildings and surrounded by high-rise towers beyond. The team at J.AR OFFICE approached the site with a deliberate sensitivity to scale, choosing a human-level form to engage directly with the street. The design emphasizes the Australian city’s subtropical climate as an integral part of the hospitality experience.
The structure itself draws from brutalist sensibilities, using green-tinted off-form concrete, pink Juparana stone, and dense plantings to form a layered and textured palette. This contrast between monolithic assemblies and abundant greenery brings a visual weight with a sense of oasis from the surrounding urban landscape.
Golden Avenue opens as a lush courtyard restaurant in Brisbane, Australia
J.AR OFFICE’s Climate-Responsive Design
Unlike many hospitality venues in the CBD, Golden Avenue is designed by J.AR OFFICE as an open-air building that minimizes dependence on air conditioning. Shading strategies, thermal mass, and passive air circulation are combined with ceiling fans to create comfort throughout Brisbane’s varied seasons.
Seven retractable roofs and operable shutters enable the building to adapt to changing conditions, admitting light and air when desirable while providing cover during heavy rain or strong sun. This adaptability gives the venue a resilience to all-weather events, maintaining an environment that is always connected to its subtropical context.
J.AR OFFICE designs the hospitality venue shaped by the sub-tropical climate
The client brief called for a ‘Queensland version of Babylon,’ with an emphasis on lush planting and tiered spaces. J.AR OFFICE drew inspiration from Moroccan riads, pulling the main dining floor inward and surrounding it with interior gardens. The result is a setting that balances privacy with openness, with terraces, balconies, and garden courts offering varied dining experiences across multiple levels.
Materially, the venue is robust and tactile. Pink granite, stainless steel details, and expansive concrete surfaces are softened by greenery and natural light filtering through skylights and perforated elements. The design incorporates bespoke furniture, stone basins, custom fans, and lighting designed specifically for the project, reinforcing the practice’s commitment to detail and integration.
green tinted concrete and pink granite shape the interiors
terraced dining unfolds among palms and interior gardens
bespoke furniture and fittings emphasize a crafted atmosphere
the project connects hospitality with landscape and open air
project info:
name: Golden Avenue | @golden.avenue.restaurant
architect: J.AR OFFICE | @j.ar.office
location: Brisbane, Australia
operator: Anyday | @anyday.hospitality
photography: © Jessie Prince | @jessie___prince
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