Hidden prospect

Help

Nestled high on a hill, this pavilion offers a quiet spot to admire the sights

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion architecture, cottage, estate, home, house, landscape, outdoor structure, plant, property, real estate, villa, brown — View of a suburban garden which features pavilion with curved timber seating and a canopy overhead, a sandstone path, landscaping.

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion architecture, house, outdoor furniture, outdoor structure, property, real estate, villa, brown

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion architecture, daylighting, house, outdoor furniture, outdoor structure, property, real estate, roof, shade, sunlounger, wood, brown

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion cottage, estate, house, outdoor structure, plant, property, real estate, tree, brown

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion architecture, house, outdoor structure, brown, orange

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion backyard, garden, home, house, landscape, outdoor structure, plant, real estate, tree, brown

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion architecture, backyard, cottage, estate, garden, home, house, landscape, outdoor structure, plant, property, real estate, tree, villa, yard, brown

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion outdoor furniture, product design, sunlounger, water, wood, orange, brown, black

View of a suburban garden which features pavilion architecture, hardwood, outdoor furniture, product design, wood, brown, orange

View from this suburban garden. - View from dawn, dusk, evening, horizon, lake, morning, reflection, river, sea, sky, sunlight, sunrise, sunset, water, black

View from this suburban garden. - View from body of water, city, dawn, dusk, evening, horizon, lake, morning, reflection, river, sea, sky, sun, sunlight, sunrise, sunset, tree, water, black

View from this suburban garden. - View from city, cityscape, dawn, dusk, evening, horizon, morning, reflection, river, roof, sky, skyline, sunlight, sunrise, sunset, tree, water, black, white

A great landscape vista will stop most anyone in their tracks. If you are fortunate enough to have access to such a view from your back yard, why not create a place to admire it for as long and as comfortably as possible.

Homeowner Edward Simpson enjoys a panorama of the city from behind his hillside Sydney home, so he chose to build a pavilion, to watch the sun set over the harbour bridge or as a place to meditate.

"Family and guests find it by following a sandstone path, where it appears dramatically at the end," he says.

View from this suburban garden. city, cityscape, dawn, dusk, evening, horizon, morning, reflection, river, roof, sky, skyline, sunlight, sunrise, sunset, tree, water, black, white — View from this suburban garden.

The pavilion is all curves a deep canopy arches over sinuous seating while white support beams beneath the deck spread in a gentle fan. Facing northwest and set on a high site, it catches sunshine year round.

The canopy is a teak-clad steel frame that rests on a substantial concrete base, says builder Rodney Kirk. This enables the structure to withstand strong winds when necessary.

As the area is exposed and gets a lot of rain, landscape architect William Dangar specified tough, hardy plants, such as succulents and native grasses, for their sculptural appearance. Despite its sturdy construction, the pavilion appears to float among the plants in the garden.

"It's so appropriate for the site and a great way to use the back of the property," says Simpson. "We enjoy the play of light and shadow the pavilion gets at various times of the day."

At night, uplighting behind the seating area illuminates the platform.

While the pavilion is a restful place, on New Year's Eve it is the perfect gathering point to watch fireworks over the harbour bridge.