South Yarra's Jam Factory redevelopment a public realm bonanza
When a site spans 19,280 square metres, it becomes a 'district'. That's the case according to the development team behind the Jam Factory's pending overhaul.
Reporting on the project to date has focused on the close to 60,000 square metres of new commercial space that is earmarked for the site, but more importantly from a layperson's perspective is the extensive new public realm that is planned as part of the development.
Our vision for the new Jam Factory is to create a highly permeable site, an extension to its context - a district defined through an ensemble of buildings that embodies and reflects the site’s rich character and establishes a new district, a breathing space, a destination of shopping, eating, working.
Jam Factory shapes as far more than just a commercial reworking of the existing complex. A genuine gesture to the people.
The opportunity to create this grand gesture has fallen to Bates Smart and Nottingham-based Leonard Design Architects. Their challenge as set down by developer Newmark Capital was to create Australia’s premiere mixed-use district.
A highlight of the reworked Jam Factory's design is the publicly accessible network of green terraces and passages that will sit atop level 3.
The spaces feature direct access from ground level from a number of locations and will be highly activated throughout the day due to the location of the commercial lobbies on these levels.
In addition, the proposed garden terrace located along the northern edge of the site will receive high exposure to direct northern sun throughout the day due to abutting rail reserve which prevents the interface from being ‘built out’.
The multiple access points will join with a network of activated roads and laneways at ground level.
In the application now with City of Stonnington, Newmark Capital's stated goal is to revitalise the current complex so that it reflects the needs of the whole community.
According to planning documents, key features of the proposed ground floor treatment include:
- A new north facing dining terrace with extensive greenery and public realm opened up. Vertical links to the level three elevated garden terrace will also be incorporated.
- A new laneway entry from Garden Street aligned with Bray Street to the south. This new laneway physically and visually reconnects the site to the southern road network and offers unique opportunities for walkable and pedestrian-scaled ground plane treatments.
- Re-opening the existing original façade on Garden Street to introduce a variety of smaller scaled retail and dining formats will activate Garden Street from a moribund vacant street to a vibrant and pedestrian-friendly street.
- The proposed design ‘opens up’ new access points from Chapel Street by reinstating Turnbull Street lanes and a new open plaza on Chapel Street to the north of the site.
- Internal privately managed, publicly accessible spaces, laneways and streets feature different widths, lengths and overall design which creates a series of different spaces with different identities, character and ‘feel’ similar to what would be expected across a typical city block.
- Depending on their purpose, the width of each internal laneway has been modelled on analysis of successful outcomes within Melbourne – Bank Place, Degraves Street, the Causeway within the central city have informed this aspect of the proposal.
- A new ‘Jam Factory Square’ similar in scale to QV Square in Melbourne. Designed with a number of events in mind (normal day, small events, larger events).
- The courtyard is north facing and will allow light to filter through the space and define the proposed series of streets and lanes.
Submitted during October, the cost of construction for the project exceeds $400 million, making it one of Melbourne's largest pending projects.
