The Turbine Shop

Year Completed: 2022

The Turbine Shop, situated in the Industrial Precinct of Cockatoo Island, is a tall and long metal shed, shaped like an aircraft hangar. The building is chosen to be repurposed into the Sustainable School of Fashion & Textile Design. While preserving its existing metal skeleton, contemporary materials, namely wood and polycarbonate, are used to “sandwich” the weathered metal frames, showing stark contrast between the old and the new. The name of the game revolves around adaptive reuse.

Connections between the old and new. Existing steel beams & columns + wood & glass.

The absence of floor plates, in addition to its long footprint, points out a challenge in drawing light into its interior. A loft-style construction approach was initially considered. Upon further refinement, a “green strip”, or an atrium that acts as a light well was implemented to bring light into this long and narrow space, providing visual permeability and negating the feeling of constriction for its occupants.