Bankside by Cheshire Architects

The ivy-covered walls of Auckland’s Northern Club have long signalled a sense of mystique and permanence. Adding a new venue to attract the club’s younger members, Bankside by Cheshire Architects continues these leafy traditions with an elevated and exclusive dining experience among the trees.

Though it’s an interior space, Bankside has the essence of an outdoor dining area – vistas of Albert Park’s heritage trees sway in the picture windows and ivy-covered walls of the original Northern Club building are visible from many angles. The intention to create an internal landscape was key to following the traditions of the club, with past alterations over the building’s 160-year lifespan all pertaining to a botanic theme.

Cheshire Architects has chosen a suite of materials that develop in character as they age, including bluestone paving, marble-based plasters, dark-stained oak timbers, rich leather and warm brass.

Cheshire Architects has chosen a suite of materials that develop in character as they age, including bluestone paving, marble-based plasters, dark-stained oak timbers, rich leather and warm brass. To further the verdant nature of the building, deep green marble plaster adorns the walls and ceilings, while handblown green-tinted glass globe chandeliers glitter in the lounge space. This longevity and spirit of quality helps to create a dining space that is both timeless and charming.

Positioned alongside the original building, Bankside seeks to frame the existing structure with a robust form that blurs the transition between old and new, as well as between inside and out. Patrons arrive undercover and ascend to the lounge or rooftop gardens to dine in the courtyards and play croquet on the Great Lawn. These richly crafted interiors merge and play off their natural and landscaped surroundings, creating a space that will live on in Auckland’s hospitality history.