Ember Restaurant banner

Type & GFA – Commercial/Restaurant, 585m²
Year completed – 2015

Ember’s previous incarnation was Pumice, the first restaurant on this site that burnt to the ground. After the blaze, we were then asked to design the new space specifically for a new restaurant and bar.

With existing knowledge of the site, we pitched the building out to the north to touch the sun while orientating the building away from the prevailing southwest wind.

Turning the building’s back to the car park everything became about the people and internal views.

On arrival, patrons are met with a large black decorative screen. It’s simple, geometric pattern is a rich and textural tapestry to provide an interesting focal point. Adding to the mood and mystique, you see nothing of the internal space and beyond. Concrete panels lead into the building and Ember’s volume and height comes to life around you.

Moving through the mingling spaces you notice a contraction and expansion happening between the spaces, before a large glazed area opens to an expansive deck where opaque perspex sitting behind the black screen provides defused light from the other side.

Colorsteel and concrete were used for economy of scale and structural steel was used throughout the building. A splash of cedar cladding adds warmth to the black exterior form.

Noel Jessop Architecture
Waikato

About the
Professional

Noel Jessop Architecture is a Hamilton based architectural design team. We are a multi-award winning practice and have an exceptional portfolio of work that can be viewed at www.nja.co.nz.

Our experience encompasses coastal and rural homes, large scale residential, commercial and industrial developments, which has led to numerous architectural awards both locally and nationally.

We are proud to have been regularly published in Urbis, NZ Home and Garden and Homestyle magazines.

NJA strives for the highest standards of client service, design and documentation. At the completion of each project the aim is to have achieved a building that is beyond the client's expectations. Our commitment to providing superior service to our clients has been recognized with a nomination for a Business Excellence Award by the Waikato Chamber of Commerce.

Each project is analyzed for its special requirements and opportunities: the end result being not a preconceived idea but a combination of the client's requirements and desires, the site and the budget. Critical consideration is given to the project's specific environmental and historical location, and to the appropriate materials and construction methods of the locality.

NJA believes good design will produce sustainable, functional and aesthetically pleasing spaces and buildings that have an enduring quality over time.

At ArchiPro we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia.