MADA
  • (car) park
Sally Britten
Master of Architecture
sally.jane.britten@gmail.com

The suburban big box retail environment presents a huge potential. This building typology incorporates large expanses of under-utilised car parking which offer opportunities to create public space that can foster meaningful social exchanges.

Sporting program is employed as a vehicle to reinvigorate these sites. This acknowledges the important role that social sports have in building community bonds within Australia. By introducing a dynamic range of commercial and informal sporting facilities a variety of people are drawn to the site at different times of the day to partake in the existing and increased activities available.

The site is located in Maribyrnong and forms part of a collective strip of big box stores along Rosamond Road. Connections are made with the surrounding residential dwellings, Highpoint shopping centre and the existing public transport network. The strategies explored in this intervention also have a wider application to big box sites across Australia.