Insight

This project is a demonstration of how innovative design and retail operational management can lead to place-making and unexpected lifestyle opportunities within suburban Canberra. It is an example of the trend towards more complex alternatives to traditional display villages where the expectations of residential buyers in inner city and suburban areas alike extend beyond apartment interiors to the desire for community interaction and public amenities.

Solution

The selected design brings together place making, event management and an architecture of temporary buildings into an Exposition Park anchored by a retail supermarket, multiple cafes and pop-up stores. The opportunity was addressed by recognising the existing and latent values the site provided, including the value of Arabanoo Park as a frontage, the opportunity to connect isolated community buildings and the excitement of demountable buildings made from simple robust building materials that are evocative of stage sets.