Melbourne practice Agius Scorpo Architects has designed and intricate seven-storey addition at the rear of an 1880 gothic revival brick bank in South Melbourne.
“BVIA on Bank” was commissioned by Anne Michaels, director of female-led developer She Built. The project, Michaels’s first solo endeavor, has been entirely facilitated by an all-female team intending to promote, empower and encourage female leadership within the building and design industry.
“The key element in the client’s brief was that it had to be glamourous,” said architect Claire Scorpo. The modern restoration and extension is made from curved glass and inscribed concrete, providing a contemporary counterpoint to the bank’s formal Gothic facade.
The project involves the partial demolition of the bank’s rear 1970s extension, while leaving the 1880s building intact. Upgrades and retrofits are being carried out to the heritage building, which was recently vacated by ANZ and will house independent retail, while the new rear building will house commercial offices, complete with an underground basement.
“A lot of care was given to creating the building as a singular form,” said Scorpo. “Most of the offset strategies requires wedding cake setback forms and we were concerned that something with a lot of parapets and levels was going to distract from the heritage building.”
The facade is designed from curved glass and inscribed concrete, providing a contemporary counterpoint to the bank’s formal Gothic facade.
Image:
She Built
The existing two-storey bank building on Clarendon Street was designed by 19th century firm Terry and Oaken from Hawthorn bricks and granite colonettes. It is one of the most enduring examples of English, Scottish and American chartered banks (known as ES&A) constructed in the gothic style.
“The key idea was to make a single facade that wraps around and forms a backdrop to the existing building,” said Scorpo. The new building will sit respectfully behind the bank, with the faceted glass curves of the extension peeling away from the building, made from a bespoke glazed curtain wall and a precast concrete facade. The inscribed pattern on the concrete panels was designed by Alice Springs artist Elliat Rich.
“There are elements that we borrowed from the existing form,” said Scorpo. “The oculus in the new building uses the ‘ox eye’ motif – little circular windows, on the side of the bank.”
Copper-coloured details have been added throughout the building, bordering a large oculus and on the pavement canopy, intended to reference the bronze colour of old one- and two-cent coins.
The main objectives of the project are to promote activation on Bank Street through good design, increasing pedestrian activity and reviving heritage connections, while supporting and promoting women in the building and design sector.
“From the beginning, it felt like a collaborative project,” said Scorpo. “The developer’s vision is unique in that she is a female developer who wants to promote women in the built environment. In some situations, getting a female lead for a team of structural engineers can be difficult – there aren’t many female-led practices – but what it allowed was for another female in the team to be promoted into that role, giving someone who may be overlooked a chance to be at the front of a project.”
Source: Architecture - architectureau
