Sketch of the proposed Sun Bistro

The Sun Bistro will be a family friendly bistro in Sunrise Beach, Byron Bay. It will be located on vacant land on Bayshore Drive, on the same side as Ozigo but at the opposite end near the railway crossing. See location map

Approval from Byron Council has been granted.

The bistro is intended for local Sunrise Beach residents and people working and living in the Byron Arts and Industry Estate. The Sun would comprise a bistro, bar, children's playground, landscaped gardens, a small bottle shop with drive through, parking for 61 cars and 30 bicycles and storage and service areas.

The total floor area of the building, at 960m² including decks, would cover 12.6% of the 7,749m² site.

Dan Connolly, from the Byron office of Troppo Architects (Australia’s third most awarded architectural practice ever) has designed the bistro.

"The design approach considers the whole site and how this development can contribute to the emerging character of Bayshore Drive" said Dan Connolly. "The bistro has a scale and form that is evocative of the local climate and the way we live".

The building and landscape design

  • The building is single storey and open plan. The architecture is a simple pavilion in the North Coast tradition. Angled rooflines will offer daylight and ventilation and the verandahs this creates will offer shelter and shade.
  • The bistro features a 'horse shoe' style bar and window ledges with stools to complement the table and chair seating.
  • The main feature is a large elevated deck facing north into the Tyagarah Nature Reserve, away from the street, where locals can enjoy the beauty of the setting and watch their children play in the fully fenced and shaded playground and landscaped gardens.
  • The idea was to create informal play opportunities for all ages, so the overall outlook from the Bistro was that of an attractive landscape design rather than a playground, with views through to the nature reserve areas beyond
  • The landscape design includes the weaving of local and regional sculptural and artistic works across the site and into the building.
  • Feature materials include recycled timber posts, beams, steps and decking around the verandah and local stone walls.
  • The materials selected and the overall design will fit in well with the houses built and under construction on the other side of Bayshore Drive.
  • There is a focus on local procurement and an intensive focus on environmentally sensitive design. This guiding principle covers solar-passive design, design for energy efficiency and embodied energy.
  • Consideration has been given to all aspects of design to achieve a family friendly venue.
  • The site is nearly two acres so large areas of existing coastal vegetation have been retained.
  • Existing trees are protected by timber seats, screens or low bush rock walls.
  • The highest standards of construction will be maintained.
  • “We hope that the street frontage, with the existing wetland retained and visible, is seen as an inviting and safe contribution to Bayshore Drive”. Dan Connolly.

The proposed bistro and drive through bottle shop hours are 10:00am – 10:00pm

We have sought the best available advice regarding sound mitigation and traffic management as we understand it is our obligation to protect the residential amenity of our neighbours.