Wintergarden Facade by Studio 505
Studio 505 have designed the new facades to the three street frontages of the Wintergarden Shopping Centre in Brisbane, Australia.
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Project description:
The brief for the new facades to the three street frontages of the Wintergarden Shopping Centre in central Brisbane required the creative application of a coherent identity and architecturally holistic sensibility in order to realise a multitude of intentions – to create an entertaining and engaging retail experience, a lifestyle destination and a ‘must-go-to’ meeting place and thoroughfare – at the heart of Brisbane’s city centre.
Our response to this brief was to build upon the deep cultural collateral and public good will that resides in the site and the name ‘Wintergarden’ and create a radically experiential composition, a complex and beautiful study of nature, geometry and layering that communicates the rich diversity of life.
It is not an ‘illustration’ of nature nor is it merely an abstract pattern. The depth of engagement with these façades lies within this irresolvable ambiguity.
Visit the Studio 505 website – here.
Photography by John Gollings and Studio 505
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Marcelo on 13 Jul 2012 at 3:09 am #
I think the end result is a bit too busy. There’s a lot going on, and it’s a bit overwhelming.
I wonder what it looks like in person?
Rube on 13 Jul 2012 at 8:32 am #
I like how over the top and busy it is,it’s pretty, but really it is just a stuck on skin.
Mon on 13 Jul 2012 at 2:53 pm #
I think that the butterflies are a little unnecessary.
Cathy on 13 Jul 2012 at 7:51 pm #
this is beautiful. the layering, the scale, the details, the craft, the art, both daytime and nighttime views, all of it. kudos!
Peter on 13 Jul 2012 at 10:36 pm #
It can be hard to read it clearly due to the narrow mall it is located on but otherwise an interesting response and one that enlivens Brisbane.
BMG on 14 Jul 2012 at 4:18 am #
It looks fantastic in real life! It is a little hard to get the whole picture of it from the Queen St Mall but it is interesting and certainly improves the look and feel of the mall. The lights at night might be a bit over the top but it will be interesting to see what they can do with them in the future. As with anything unique it may date but at least it makes Winter Garden Stand out from the rest!
Kristifer on 14 Jul 2012 at 8:43 am #
I think this is an excellent exercise in “facade”. It does not try to hide that it is a facade, instead it celebrates it. It is difficult to discern how much light can penetrate through it. I would be interested to see what the interior view is. I do love the idea of filtered light, as thorough a forest canopy, but I think the oversized butterflies are too literal and could either be removed or reinterpreted. Otherwise, a great project.
BMG on 14 Jul 2012 at 3:07 pm #
It is surprising good from inside. For most of the building there are no windows as it covers a shopping centre but where it goes in front of the Hilton Hotel conference rooms there is quite good light. You can also see the layers and structure from inside which is interesting to me. Maybe not to everyone’s taste though!
Webcore on 16 Jul 2012 at 1:48 am #
We’ll look back at this stuff, which is basically 2D, in a few years and see it as the start of a revolution in design concept to installation via conected Computer models and sophisticated manufacturing machines. Just needs a few years of bird poo and spiders. But seriously, being on a shopping centre and not very large its a good disposable PR gimmick to attract attention. Would be unwise to use it on a building needing more permananence and therefore less ephemera.