» COMMERCIAL - FREMANTLE COMMERCIAL & RETAIL STAGE 2

The design brief from the client was for a landmark building for the site in the heart of Fremantle. The development resides at the corner of Queen and Cantonment Streets in the city centre, close to both the port and harbour. The area is comprised of heritage buildings, old and refurbished warehouses and few contemporary developments.

 

The design had to address the identity of the immediate precinct, notably the Heritage Listed Woodson’s warehouse on the Cantonment Street border and the contemporary mixed retail and office development (also by Meyer Shircore; completed 2006) adjacent on Queen Street. The resulting four storey corner office building ties the two contrasting buildings together, sensitively referencing the scale and form of the warehouse yet maintaining a contemporary architectural language. Ground level houses premier retail space as well as the lobby serving the floors above. A car park (accessible by a car lift) shares the first floor at the rear of the site with offices facing the street. The second and third floors each house two tenancies. Full height glazing and large balconies on both street frontages allow uninterrupted views of the coast and port. 

Due to the restricted access of the inner city block and a tight time schedule, it was decided to construct the building in a steel frame. Input from the builder, Buckingham Redevelopment Company, was sought at an early stage, proving invaluable during the design development and documentation phases. Regular meetings with Buckinghams and the structural engineers, Structerre Consulting Group were held to ensure synchronisation across all disciplines and to allow for the seamless coordination of services.

 

The building’s aesthetic was derived from the industrial and maritime influences upon which the city was founded with strong design features reminiscent of elements found within the working port. The external galvanised steel framing supporting the balconies and sunscreens suggest the bracing of towers of shipping containers as well as cranes found on the docks. Powder coated steel spiral ducting mimic the funnels of a ship and provide points of interest across the facades.