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A modern metal canopy welcomes visitors to an open-air plaza, featuring sleek architectural lines and a bright, spacious design.

The Canopy

Multi-level carpark or Community hub? Why not both!

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The Canopy is a visionary project by Lane Cove Council, transforming an underused site into a vibrant community hub. At its core, this project integrates a 500-space, multi-level underground carpark, two major supermarkets, community parkland, an adventure playground, and an all-day dining precinct, all designed with sustainability in mind.

Located beneath the park level, Coles and Aldi supermarkets are easily accessed via travelators or lifts from the carpark. These access points are marked by a unique, sculptural metallic ‘periscope’ called Reflections, envisioned by Supermanoeuvre. Reflections mirrors the lush green walls surrounding the park, reflecting natural light into the retail spaces below.

The Canopy’s Eat Street offers an array of all-day dining options, with park and laneway-fronted venues, alfresco seating, and takeaway picnic choices. Family-friendly BBQ facilities are also available near the kids’ playground. The Canopy features several sustainability initiatives, such as a living green wall, 230 solar panels, rainwater harvesting, EV charging points, and a custom-designed solar arbour—a world-first experiment in partnership with the University of Newcastle. Learn more on the university’s website.

Opening night was a festive occasion, featuring live music by Diesel on a state-of-the-art entertainment stage, followed by a stunning fireworks display.

Design Clarity, engaged by Lane Cove Council as the Retail/Hospitality Design Manager, has provided ongoing design expertise, quality control, and fit-out management. Despite the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, the full line-up of restaurants is now open, drawing both locals and visitors with its diverse options.

The Canopy offers a variety of dining options to suit every taste. Masala Kitchen features a Gin Bar, an Afternoon Tea Lounge, and spacious indoor-outdoor seating, with additional locations at EQ and Penrith riverside. Peanut Butter Jelly combines street food with graffiti street art, lively music, and eye-popping desserts, and can also be found at Manly. Garcon brings a French-inspired bistro experience with a striking ceiling of greenery, also located at Tramsheds Glebe. Sugarlane showcases vibrant Southeast Asian flavors crafted by Executive Chef Milan Strbac, formerly of Longrain, and serves as a sister restaurant to Coogee’s Sugar Lane. Finally, Sunset Diner channels a Miami-inspired vibe, serving burgers, shakes, and more, with another location in Avalon.

 

Watch The Canopy project video by ADCO here, and read a review of The Canopy in Shopping Centre News.

Credits and Project Team: Photography credits to Masala Kitchen, PBJ, Sugarlane, Garcon, Sunset Diner, The Canopy, and Scott Carver.

Project Architect: Scott Carver
Contractor: ADCO Constructions
Design Manager: Design Clarity
Leasing: IB Property | Precinct Retail
Client: Lane Cove Council

The distinctive and varied tableware combines natural wood tones, textured mats, and elegant interior finishes to create an inviting and stylish dining setting. The textxured tiled tabletops with wood surrounds contrast beautifully against the exposed aggregate concrete floor and crazy paving at the entryway, which adds depth and character to the dining experience.

A beautifully arranged hospitality offer with a mix of textures, colours, and carefully curated tableware, adding to the ambiance of a modern casual dining restaurant for locals and visiting families and friends.
The Masala Bar with mirrored finishes reflecting the neon branding, vibrant lighting, and an inviting mix of Indian cultural and classic bar elements.

The Masala Bar’s design blends vivid neon branding with warm lighting and gold-framed shelving, and colourful rattan furniture pieces offer a welcoming and eclectic ambiance. The bar is visually rich, with reflective surfaces and carefully arranged bottles that add depth and sophistication, enhanced by overhead lighting that casts a warm glow across the dining area.

The elephant mural at the Massala Bar is a captivating artwork, featuring an intricately designed elephant head painted in a mix of warm and vibrant colors. Artistic patterns, floral motifs and geometric shapes contrast with the live action of the chefs performing in the kitchen window, drawing from traditional Indian and Asian design influences, creating a visually striking focal point on the burnt orange wall inspired by the colours of the tandoor.

A close-up of the colorful elephant mural over the Massala Bar open-kitchen, showcasing intricate designs and vibrant hues that add cultural richness to the space.
The underground carpark with escalator access, featuring tesselated paving, a green wall, and a striking surpine overhead canopy.

The carpark arrival combines natural elements with urban design, centering around an escalator access area surrounded by raised planters and interlocking tiles in natural shades inspired by the surrounding landscape. A striking surpine reflective canopy provides ample shade, enhancing the open-air feel while connecting the hopsitality and retail spaces seamlessly.

Sugarlane Bar’s design balances warm wood tones, stainless steel surfaces, and lush greenery, creating an inviting and modern atmosphere. The rich timbers, paired with neon welome messaging and crazy paver flooring, serves as the central hub, where staff in crisp black and branded aprons prepare drinks and serve diners.

The Sugarlane Bar, featuring a warm, inviting design with wood paneling, greenery, and Edison-style lighting.
A close-up of a decadent pancake at Peanut Butter Jelly, set against the backdrop of the restaurant’s vibrant and artistic ambiance.

Peanut Butter Jelly delivers an unforgettable dining experience, blending culinary artistry with captivating wall designs by local and international artists. The pancake, a visual and flavorful delight, reflects the restaurant’s creative energy, inviting diners into a world where food and art intersect.

The Masala Laneway showcases a stunning brick mural facade with large window displays featuring vibrant graphics for enticement and attraction. These colourful, detailed murals add an artistic and cultural touch to the textured brick exterior, marking the adjacent external seating area as a visual focal point within the laneway.

The Masala Laneway with vibrant murals and a warm brick facade, creating a cultural and artistic atmosphere.
The back bar at Sugarlane, featuring a neon sign, tropical greenery, and righ natural timber detailing.

Sugarlane’s backbar design brings together a playful neon sign, textured walls, and lush greenery, creating a vibrant yet relaxed atmosphere. The neon green “meet you at Sugar Lane” wlecome note adds a lively focal point against the textured wall to the kitchen pass-through, while timber slatted divider screens provide a subtle separation for the kitchen area, blending function with style.

The Sugarlane table setup showcases a vibrant selection of Thai cuisine, beautifully arranged on textured kitkat finger-tiled tabletops. The mix of stir-fried noodles, rice, and vegetable dishes, complemented by glasses of red and white wine, showcases a varied array of traditional and tasty dishes.

An inviting array of Thai dishes at Sugarlane, set on a woven table mat, capturing a casual, communal dining experience.
Every retail tenant is provided with a double-sided internally-illuminated blade sign

The Sugarlane brand and projecting blade signage brings a fresh and inviting touch to the restaurant’s exterior with its simple natural accents. Set against the exposed FC sheet natural textured external tenancy walls, the white sign with "SUGAR LANE" branding captures the restaurant’s nature-inspired aesthetic.

Successful hospitality branding goes beyond the visit. Providing takehome options in branded packaging gives an opportunity for a longer lasting brand message. Sustainable options not only provide extra brand visibility but also encourage brand advocacy and return visits.

The takeaway moment for every hospitality offer should always reflect the brand aesthetic and provide a momento for re-use.
The Sunset Diner facade, featuring a bold pink sign with classic lettering and a palm tree graphic against a light beige exterior.

The Sunset Diner’s facade showcases a laid-back, retro-inspired aesthetic with a pinkish-red sign that stands out against the light beige building. The sign, with “SUNSET DINER” in a clean, white sans-serif font and a stylized palm tree graphic, brings a playful yet classic touch to the diner’s exterior.

The internal ceiling is a stunning feature, covered in cascading artificial greenery that forms a vibrant, garden-like canopy. This green expanse adds freshness and vitality to the cafe dining environment, providing an interesting eye-catching conversation point for diners.

A lush, green ceiling canopy creates a natural ambiance in the cafe, complemented by soft floral accents and warm lighting.
The Garçon bar, a chic cafe with elegant marble-topped counters and inviting indoor-outdoor seating.

The Garçon bar combines modern sophistication with a welcoming city ambiance, featuring a stylish marble-topped bar and a well-designed outdoor dining area. The indoor bar area, complete with gold-toned shelves stocked with wines and liquors, adds an upscale touch to the light brown timber-clad walls and creates a refined focal point for guests dining alfresco.

The park landscape features gently curved, light brownish-gray stone benches set against a vibrant green lawn, providing a natural, welcoming space in the midst of an urban environment. These wide benches, with their textured surfaces, add character and functionality to the park’s design, inviting visitors to relax and enjoy the surroundings.

A landscaped park area with stone terraced benches and greenery, creating a rare green-space urban retreat.
A bustling public open plaza with greenery, ample seating, and shaded areas, creating a lively urban gathering spot.

This public plaza offers a spacious, welcoming atmosphere with tesselated pavers around a recessed water fountain, providing a textured, open surface for pedestrians. Metal bollards delineate the area, adding subtle structure to the layout, while park benches give visitors comfortable spots to sit and relax amidst the activity, pre and post shop.

The playground features a contemporary design with attention to sustainable design principles and a central deck, creating a warm, natural aesthetic that blends with the surrounding park landscape. The play area’s perimeter circulation paths provide a sturdy, inviting surface for both children and adults to gather, meet and stroll. There's ample bbq facilities, solar panels and rain water harvesting on site.

An eco-friendly community playground with a living breathing green wall, set within a sunny, tree-lined park.