In association with:
The Beating Heart of Sunshine Sunshine Plaza Extension how the building works: Any new building or public works must indicate and inspire change. At this time in history it should be a crime to shape the built environment without vision. We must engage with the real world and the opportunities presented by the challenge of sustainability. It is The Mission that will completely reshape the way we live and imagine our relationship with the environment. Shopping Centres occupy crucial territory in our public domain and must take on the role as the unofficial public plaza from which culture and invention can be cultivated. The historic image of the Shopping Centre as a vast, enclosed concrete fortress surrounded by car parks, has become the symbol of many ills within our culture. The goal of this project was to open up the concrete box, and redefine the territory of the Sunshine Plaza shopping centre.
Existing Site conditions
A new ground level program is envisaged based on effective public space, knitted together by a retail offer based on small scale food stalls. The incubator food stalls will focus on excellence in cuisine and sourcing local produce from urban agriculture. Existing core tenants will be supported and the retail mix re-aligned towards food and health services.
Going up to level one, the development will be made financially viable through the integration of the Brimbank Council offices into one unified and inspiring space. Through overlapping space and visual connections between the levels a culture of transparency will be grown. this will help re-invigorate the institution of local government to become a driver of community growth and innovation.
The development will be scaled down to fit into its surrounding urban context, and will be capped with a publically accessible green roof that extends over approximately three quarters of the building footprint. The remainder of the site provides an opportunity for two levels of affordable apartments to be built, that will encourage reduced carbon intensive habits and a more socially connected life style. The entire building will then be encapsulated via a green scaffold system that introduces a platform for urban agriculture and also adds to the buildings energy performance and habitability.
Le Corbusiers Unité d'Habitation section diag
Key quote“A lack of vision is a crime really at this period of historic opportunity...The boundary between vision and hopeful delusion is a very narrow one. And most of the time when you are facing history, it’s not clear which side of the boundary you will be on.”” -Kito de Boer Director Mckinsey and Company