A collaborative approach at Lane Cove
The Canopy Precinct Project is about bringing the community together – revaluing and reshaping the way we think about public domains and how we use them. The project includes a series of mixed use spaces, which are designed as expressive forms, creating and reinforcing the experience of the user, and in turn, the community. Located in Lane Cove in Sydney, the design itself is a melding of a number of architectural elements including a significant retail offer, a car park, public park and open spaces and park buildings, producing a multifaceted environment. Lane Cove has a strong and proud community and as a reflection of the richness of life in the area, The Rosenthal Project will provide spaces for the public to experience with comfort and ease. Scott Carver's architecture and landscape architecture teams developed the existing Stage 1 DA Scheme, and a recent collaboration with Supermanouvre on a feature Periscope Canopy has broadened the design outcome. The project is a great example of how the built form and landscape design can create synergy and seamless design outcomes. The project is also a prime example of a successful collaboration between a variety of designers, ADCO Constructions, Lane Cove Council and the community. We also acknowledge Arcadia Landscape Architecture on their development of the reference design at Concept & Stage 1DA.
The main inspiration behind the architecture of The Rosenthal Project was the integration between the built form and the landscape – a combination of commercial activation and civic responsibility. "A great challenge of this project has been balancing the needs of a great urban park and that of the commerciality and functioning of the lower retail and parking levels,” says Doug Southwell, Director, Scott Carver. “We are proud that our work underpins the commercial viability of the project and has provided the basis on which a new and potent public asset can be properly developed.”
Integration between the built form and the landscape
The Canopy Precinct Project is an example of responsive design, with building typologies that address and respond to the surrounding urban opportunities, including laneway remaking, the creation of urban markers and exciting urban and landscape spaces. “This expressive Scheme acts to not just create user experiences, but to truly amplify the lives of those using the spaces,” says Doug. Much thought has gone into improving connections through the site, with the park level and bridge only enhancing these connections. These elements, alongside the stage, amenities, park buildings and other elements, will all end up being a well-loved part of the Lane Cove community and will act as an extension to the existing vibrant Lane Cove Town Centre.
The inspiration for the developed public domain design for the project came from the significance of the indigenous character, amenity and environmental quality throughout the Lane Cove area. “The design acknowledges its sense of place and knits seamlessly into the urban fabric and areas of indigenous character throughout Lane Cove, whilst creating a state of the art retail and parkland destination, with exciting play zones, for Lane Cove and the wider community,” explains Charlie Robinson, Senior Landscape Architect for the project. The new urban development is not only bold, but also expressive – a design which takes in urban surroundings to produce a multifaceted and fascinating environment for the community.
The design acknowledges its sense of place
Below the park sits the key supermarket offers and supporting retail. This location ensures the convenience of large retail offers without visually dominating the street. Subtly sitting below the ground plane, the design solutions were critical to creating a sense of an extension to the Lane Cove Town Centre, rather than a competing form. A key element of this aspect is the entry feature Periscope Canopy, designed in collaboration with Supermanouvre.
After winning the competition for the Canopy Precinct & Periscope, the two practices have continued to work closely towards the realisation of this project, with supermaneourve taking the lead on the modelling and construction rationalisation of the canopy design. The design of the awning provides an iconic gateway and functional roof to the supermarket entry atrium and restaurant precinct, “Our design was conceived of as a ‘periscope’ that visually connects the supermarkets and parking below ground with the restaurants and highly public areas above,” says Dave Pigram from supermaneourve, “The canopy both supports and expands the Scott Carver architecture and landscape design, while offering a striking spatial element that cohesively unifies the public domain,” he adds.
The awning’s form serves many needs – creating visual connections via targeted reflections; providing shelter and shade, signifying the entry, cohesive wayfinding and supporting retail infrastructure such as heating, lighting, signage and roller blinds to restaurants. The periscope canopy is built upon a simple and highly repetitive structural steel frame, which makes use of many standard elements as possible to create a geometrically rich and unique form. The material palette for the canopy includes chromed steel circular columns, mirror polished aluminium shingles, marine plywood sheets, and a standing seam Zincalume roof with fanning trays to follow and celebrate the curved forms. The design team developed a bespoke design approach to enable the development of the canopy’s form and construction in dialogue with the principle contractor ADCO Construction, “The parametric design model developed ensured all key design and fabrication constraints could be embedded within the generating logics of the roof,” explains Dave.
Contemporary urban character
The materials chosen for the entire project, across both the architecture and the landscape are a reflection and interpretation of the organic and naturalistic Lane Cove aesthetic, which reflects a contemporary urban character connected to the geographical locality of the development. In addition to the reflective materials of the new entry design there are also subtle natural materials used, including timber, brickwork, sandstone, and other textured and patterned surfaces. “The softworks and materials reflect the importance of Lane Cove’s natural setting, inspired by the organic palette of the development – blurring the edges between urban and bushland settings,” says Charlie.
The team focused on being adaptable to provide solutions to issues as they arose. "A key challenge for the design team and ADCO, was to ensure Lane Cove Council’s vision and the public’s expectation was maintained and delivered,” says Doug. “Our project team are tirelessly working closely with all stakeholders, to ensure that the project delivers on our commitments and meets the expectations that the Lane Cove community deserves,” he adds.
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