Tony Owen Partners has just completed the Fractal Cafe in Sydney. The cafe is located in the ground floor of the recently completed Boston University Student Housing building. The rear of BU is located on a narrow laneway in the city. It was a feature of the original design, that building was the cut back at ground level to widen the laneway and create a public square. The new Cafe addresses this square.
The unique design of the ceilings is derived from the fractal canyons which are the main design element in the building. These canyons maximize solar access and natural ventilation, whilst the prismatic windows maintain privacy for the students.
The geometry of the ceilings came from a photograph of the completed canyon windows. The ever changing geometry of these windows was interpreted here using orange plexi-glass. This photo was also used as a super-graphic on the cafe wall. The overall effect is a dynamic geometry which sits alongside the building itself.