Peppermint Bay

Peppermint Bay is a major food destination sited at the threshold to the inspiring landscape south of Hobart Australia’s southern-most capital city. The winding journey by boat or car to the peninsula is continued at the site in a labyrinthine path through the garden, which for the final stretch is within a building and culminates in a room that directly opens to a 100-year-old oak tree.

The tree was central to the project from the beginning, the key element in the non-functional brief. By organising the site and building such that the tree was located at the end point of a languid, circular path which ends in a function room, which continues up to the edge of the tree canopy. The height of the room is derived from the dimensions of the tree and the window that encloses the room, which is dominated by a horizontal beam, is aligned with the base of the canopy. Above the beam, the window framing intermingles with the tree canopy. This framing makes approaching the tree from the interior a more heightened and impactful experience.