Staff of life

Gentrification has played a vital role in the re-establishment of inner-city neighbourhoods the world over. Residential areas that experienced an exodus post-WW II, along with derelict industrial sites, have recently undergone a renaissance as couples and young families seek a more urban lifestyle.

Property development firm, Little Project Developments (LPD), in conjunction with architects Rothelowman, has released details of a mixed-use redevelopment of the former Tip Top bakery site in Brunswick East, Melbourne.

"Given the benefits of the existing commercial interfaces and the lack of any contentious boundaries, the site is ideal for a development of this size and scale," says Michael Fox, LPD managing director.

An existing, significant Art Deco building forms the starting point of the project, which comprises six distinct blocks strategically located around the 1.25ha site, says Kim Lowman, principal of Rothelowman.

"The new buildings that front Edward and Weston Streets have been designed to respond to the original Art Deco styling. We have sensitively added to the composition while retaining notable parts of the heritage building.

"Abstract notations of bakery production inform each building. Granary, for example, is derived from the interlocking nature of wheat, with balconies and privacy screens merging to become an integral composition."

Story by: Trendsideas