Client: A professional chef with a career spanning 25-years, Nornie Bero is a proud Meriam woman from the Torres Strait. Championing local produce and sustainable practices, Bero’s food pays homage to her Islander heritage.

Brief: Transform an industrial warehouse into a 100pax capacity restaurant in Marrickville, Sydney. Taking advantage of the north-easterly aspect from the sites rear, as well as considering the noise pollution being under a flight-path, and the visual obstructions from neighbours, was key when informing decisions.

Conceptual Approach: For the Meriam people, listening and working with the land is integral to the way in which they connect with their ancestors, and share culture. In particular, certain totems are symbolic to the clans who live in different areas on the island, and symbolise their place within the broader ecosystem and Meriam kinship system. This symbiotic relationship, a Spirit Guide, drove the conceptual design of Bero’s restaurant, which can be recognised with the sinuous force that starts the patron journey as soon as you see the site’s exterior.