Babylon Restaurant in Westfield Sydney by Hogg & Lamb

At 1200 sqm with a casual 800 person capacity, Babylon restaurant and bar certainly made an entrance to Sydney’s CBD. Set on the rooftop level of Westfield, the sprawling establishment by Queensland-based Hogg & Lamb recalls grand notions of a lost and ancient city.

The sprawling indoor-outdoor tenancy makes use of a previously underutilised space that puts diners eye to eye with the city skyline. A six-month design phase and nine-month construction period involving mechanical, hydraulic, structural, electrical and fire engineers managed to overcome strict access limitations and service requirements.

‘Lavish’ is the overarching theme, with the interior inspired by an imagined ruin complete with hanging gardens, arcades, and a labyrinth of stone. In theory all this sounds – dare we say it – potentially tacky, however natural, high quality materials and a muted palette avoid this territory in favour of a more refined experience.

The restaurant is distributed across a collection of rooms, varying in scale and spatial quality, with travertine plinths, archways and colonnades forming a series of interconnected spaces. This recalls the spatial qualities of a bazaar, whereby patrons are drawn to discover various settings over multiple return journeys.

Both intimate and communal areas are interspersed amongst this complex, layered landscape. Settings are embellished by tonal and tactile variations achieved by materials referencing ancient Babylonian times. The extensive use of clay block, masonry, natural stone, lime render, solid timbers and soft fabrics was realised through collaboration with artisan renderers, bricklayers and stonemasons. Bespoke elements including gold beaded ceilings, brass-edged stone and brass metalwork in the crypt-like bathrooms add further complexity to the interior.

The architects employed innovative technical solutions in order to bring ancient cooking methods and a natural garden setting to an unlikely shopping centre rooftop location. An open wood fire called upon expert engineering and coordination with existing and introduced services. Hanging plants bring a verdant quality and reinforce the indoor-outdoor layout, including a full-height ‘wet wall’ that required a complex watering system.

Hogg & Lamb use historical archetypal references juxtaposed with refined, luxurious materials to further engage patrons, imbuing a sense of the unexpected.