Housed alongside Light Square in Adelaide’s CBD, Aurora blurs the lines between restaurant, art gallery, and performance space. Set on the ground floor of a 150-year-old former tobacco factory, the space was stripped back to bare structure revealing curiously appealing architectural forms, cracks, stucco and crumbling brickwork. Harnessing these textural characteristics in their rawest form, GSID have sought to create a dynamic interior atmosphere combining contemporary design with specialised lighting techniques. Aurora explores and celebrates the relationship between industrial originality and a theatrical, modern rich palette. Our client approached us with a fabulous idea that had come to him while in two weeks of isolation from his family following an international business trip. With a love and passion for entertainment, and the food and drink industry, came a drive to help promote and support local artists, emerging creatives, talented chefs, as well as hospitality greats.
Shortly after floating the idea of what they wanted to create the clients had purchased one of Adelaide’s most historic buildings located in Light Square in Adelaide. From tobacco factory, night clubs, brothels and a gym, this building had many layers of history imbedded into its skin. Our clients wanted to peel away its varied and often conflicting layers and expose its hidden beauty. In turn they wanted to create a top restaurant space as part of a new entertainment precinct that was self-sustaining through the profits of the events to be held there. The building has been named “Light”. A name taken from both its location on Light Square, and inspired by the Southern lights (Aurora). It is a 5-level venue being transformed in stages. Our focus was to work on “Aurora,” the restaurant. The brief was to create a space about experience, performance, movement, light, and colour. It was a to be an opportunity for the chefs to play artist amongst their patrons. To showcase their skills and food artistry.
