Cranbourne Park

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Expansion and revitalization of the Cranbourne Shopping Centre which is the heartland of the Eastern Growth Corridor (south east of Melbourne).

When was the last time you heard a developer say “Park the budget for a moment, are we pursuing the best possible design or have we cut back too many creative elements in favour of the bottom line?”

We had been working with Federation Centres on the redevelopment of Cranbourne Park Shopping Centre for 12 months. We had already lodged a development application and were working through the tender documentation when Federation challenged us to review the design that had evolved to ensure we were pursuing the most creative and iconic outcome for this development.

The opportunity was not lost on i2C and we embraced the challenge wholeheartedly.

Challenges

The heritage oak tree had been identified in our original design philosophy as important for the community and as a nodal point on the site. Our design featured a restaurant that overlooked the iconic tree and the highway, creating a focal point and the ideal place to start the ribbon facade that would flow along the site.

While the oak tree was the strongest element on the site, it was also the source of most obstacles during design development. In overcoming these obstacles as the design evolved, the significance of the tree and its connection to the ribbon façade had been gradually whittled away.

To reinstate the significance of the oak tree and the ribbon façade, we realised we needed to reinforce the connection between the two, strengthening the expression of our original design philosophy.

Outcomes

The building of detailed models incorporating the oak tree elements into the façade directed the language of the ribbons form and we could see the wave of movement over the solid flat wall structures evolving. The leaves, acorns and the shape of the branches at the junction to the acorn became the inspiration behind the design of the various elements of the façade.

Apart from being a genuinely exciting process, taking a step back to review design and hold it up against the original philosophy and vision has proved invaluable to the redevelopment of Cranbourne Park. The revisited creative is reinvigorated, strong and clear and articulated across the site. We know that, as a result, the experience of the new Cranbourne Park will enhance the human experience for the community and visitors alike.

Project Feedback

“The new Coles store opened with a new Liquorland, Target and a refurbished Kmart resulting in a great outcome for Wesfarmers. The world class facility is an important part of the improving fabric of Cranbourne.”

Paul Banks - State Manager Vic Property, Coles

“This is a great boost for Cranbourne and shows the value to be gained when Council and private developers work together.”

Mick Morland - City of Casey Mayor

“We were extremely proud to handover the main stage of the Cranbourne Park Project earlier this year. Having worked with i2C, ADP and Hyder Consulting collaboratively to deliver each separable portion, the finished result was a real sense of achievement for the team.”

Michael Leighton - Design Manager, Hacer