Blackfriars is a 13th century Dominican Friary situated in Newcastle City Centre adjacent to Stowell Street. The remaining cloister buildings were restored in the late 20th Century, and the footprint of the Friary Church preserved north of the courtyard, at the centre of the cloister buildings.  

Southern Green was appointed by Andy Hook, owner of Blackfriars Restaurant, to create a new space that was a sensitive yet vibrant, fully accessible, inviting, and memorable destination. A large area of hardstanding was required to allow not only the restaurant, but community groups, performance artists, and markets, to utilise the space. The design focussed heavily on the rich heritage of the site (Grade I listed building and Scheduled Monument), resulting in the need for improved interpretation. Existing materials were salvaged and sensitively reused, with additional decorative lighting and planting used to enhance the retained black walnut.