Hachi Bei Japanese Bistro and Tapas, Rose Bay NSW

Shortlisted: Australian Interior Design Awards

Originally built in 1929, 51-55 O’Sullivan rd stands as a rare surviving example of a Spanish Mission style service station erected in the inter-war period to cater for the expansion of car ownership. This single storey structure featuring Spanish Style pediments and parapet walls with Cordoba tiles inspired FORM in their playful re-interpretation of the site.

Our research had revealed this building had lain dormant for a period of over half a century. Whilst last trading as a bait and tackle store and cake shop, painted windows, dilapidated interiors and a façade painted blue and green, certainly diluted any of its past Spanish Mission style architectural glory.

The architectural style and pediment details created the metaphor for the conceptual design foundation. The integrity of the new work framed the nexus that joined the heritage façade to its interior and the building now stands open to reveal its historic past for public appreciation.