800 Gympie Road
800 Gympie Road is a refurbishment of an existing two level commercial building originally constructed in 1971. The brief required office accommodation for several dental specialists on the upper level, with the retention of two retail spaces on the ground level.
Location
Brisbane
Client
MDSc
Status
Completed 2007
Gross Floor Area
1,280 m²
Concept
The design approach for 800 Gympie Road is simple: add new building objects, and layer new surface textures onto the existing shell. This results in a modest intervention; the addition of a vertical circulation tower at the rear of the building, and vertical screening systems to the street frontages.
Materials
The screens are created by overlapping folded anodised aluminium blades, in varying colours and shades. Viewed from the south, the folded blades create a rippled surface, and from the north allow glimpses of the building through the blades. The resultant surface is a unified wall: a singular texture that is comparatively restrained in the mix of the visually hectic Gympie Road.
The car park frontage is dominated by the timber batten screen that veils the lift and stair tower. The vertical forms and shifting geometry presented an opportunity for the new rear entry to the building, expressed by a folded steel extrusion that peels out to welcome the visitor.
