Easy Come, Easy Go
Designed by Kerstin Thompson Architects with Figureground Architecture, Sunda celebrates its temporariness through a delicate, metallic structure tucked between brick neighbours in Melbourne’s Punch Lane.
Referencing Sunda’s South-East Asian menu, the venue’s design draws on the form of paper lanterns, a ubiquitous presence in laneways throughout Asia. The structure itself, wrapped in woven metal mesh and lit from within, acts as a glowing focal point in the streetscape.
Accommodating up to 75 patrons in three dining areas, the restaurant fitout was conceived as an alternative to conventional hospitality spaces. A raw palette of red brick, raw timber and an off-form concrete bar imbues the space with an elegant roughness.
As a proudly temporary intervention, the design necessarily factored in the removal and on-selling of the main structural system beyond its current application. A steel scaffold perfectly fit this bill, being simple to install, remove and later re-utilise to minimise wastage.
