Lotus

Airport Retail Group brought Lotus Dumpling Bar into Qantas Terminal 3 as part of its new hospitality offer. The challenge was to translate an established Sydney dining brand into a high-traffic airport environment while retaining the character and quality customers already associated with Lotus. Within the food court, the restaurant also needed enough presence to establish itself as a destination rather than simply another tenancy.

The airport environment required the experience to work differently from a conventional restaurant. Customer movement, seating, kitchen operations and service all needed to be resolved within the constraints of the terminal, while maintaining the more considered dining experience associated with Lotus.

TableFive, Greater Group’s hospitality design division, developed and documented the concept around a strong central bar and material palette. Emerald green tiles create a jade-like finish, framed by brass structure, overhead canopy and glass shelving. Brass detailing continues through mirrors and trims against jade-toned polished plaster, giving Lotus a strong presence from the concourse while retaining the refinement of the brand.

The design was then connected directly to Greater Group’s manufacture and build capability, allowing key joinery and construction details to move from documentation into production as part of the wider Airport Retail Group programme. The result was a single pathway from hospitality design through to physical delivery.

The completed restaurant brings the Lotus experience into Qantas Terminal 3 without reducing it to a generic airport format. Its jade-toned bar, brass detailing and layered materiality give the restaurant a strong identity within the concourse, while its planning responds to the different pace and operating requirements of airport hospitality.

As part of the wider three-venue programme, Lotus also demonstrates the value of combining TableFive’s specialist hospitality design expertise with Greater Group’s delivery capabilities. The brand experience was adapted specifically for the airport, then carried from documentation through manufacture and construction by the wider group.