The shape of water

At Sydney Airport, Icebergs Bar and Kitchen brings the spirit of its namesake restaurant on Bondi Beach, also designed by Lazzarini Pickering Architetti, to Terminal 3. The project interprets its defining qualities through colours, textures and materials inspired by the coastal landscape, creating a setting that offers moments of respite amid the airport’s constant movement.

The space is organised around curved forms, layered screens and dining pods linked by flowing circulation routes. The venue accommodates different ways of eating and drinking, from table-service dining to the Wine Bar, informal seating and takeaway coffee available directly from the concourse. Service functions are concentrated along the edges, maintaining an open relationship between the interior and the circulation space. Suspended tubular elements, focused lighting and hand-glazed ceramics help define the atmosphere. The design draws on the colours, light and textures of Bondi Beach, while photographs by Derek Henderson are incorporated into the wall graphics, contributing to the venue’s identity. The overall palette remains understated, allowing the ceramic surfaces to introduce greater intensity and a richer material presence. These surfaces become one of the project’s defining features. Variations in the artisanal glaze subtly alter the tone and pattern from one surface to another, evoking the depth and movement of water. The ceramic cladding extends across the tops and sides of the main counters, the kitchen pass and the dining tables. Two collections by Franco Pecchioli Ceramica were used for Icebergs Bar and Kitchen. The first, Ceramica dei Chini, features hand-glazed pieces in the FAN114 finish, in 30 × 30 cm and 40 × 40 cm formats, alongside bespoke 40 × 40 cm elements. These cover both the horizontal and vertical surfaces of the bar and kitchen counters, as well as the ten high tables in the Entry Bar and the communal table in the Wine Bar. The second collection, Lava Dell’Etna, is also hand-glazed in the FAN114 finish. Bespoke circular pieces, each 60 cm in diameter, were produced for the thirty-five round tables distributed throughout the restaurant. Each tabletop consists of a single ceramic element, emphasising the continuity of the surface and the precision of the overall composition.

The choice of handcrafted ceramics by Franco Pecchioli Ceramica establishes a direct connection with the identity of the Bondi Beach restaurant, where materials and colours echo the ocean landscape. Within the airport, these surfaces introduce a tactile dimension, bringing the character of artisanal craftsmanship to a setting subject to intensive use. Ceramics thus become the principal material through which the design expresses Icebergs’ coastal imagery. Sustainability, a particularly significant consideration in an airport environment subject to heavy wear, is addressed through the use of durable, high-performance materials. Within this approach, Franco Pecchioli Ceramica’s creations contribute to the project’s overall strategy through their durability and quality of manufacture.