WALK UP VILLAGE 81–89 RUPERT STREET COLLINGWOOD

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WALK UP VILLAGE81–89 RUPERT STREET

COLLINGWOOD

A project by Molonglo

Contents

4 About 40 Project vision 44 Project objectives50 Development principles54 Public participation and research58 Insights 62 Tenants and uses

About

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Rupert Street

Rupert Street is a 2000-square metre site in Melbourne’s Collingwood that is being developed by Molonglo. The site currently contains two conjoined warehouses. Number 89 was completed in 1925 and was originally the Davis Pickle and Sauce factory. The building at 81 Rupert Street was an extension to the factory and completed later. Building number 89 is the current home to Vice, the global youth media company and digital content creation studio. Building number 81 houses Schoolhouse Studios, an artist commu-nity supported by Molonglo through rental subsidies. Rupert Street’s mix of uses will include work-spaces, retail, accommodation, and social and cultural spaces. Through its continued use as a place for work and congregation, the site will seek to push against the negative conditions of gentrification that are currently looming on Collingwood’s diverse and unpolished urban character. Molonglo has commissioned London-based 6a architects and landscape architects Dan Pearson Studio to design the project’s masterplan and buildings.

6 81 Rupert Street. Photo by Lee Grant.

7 Alice and Hazel, founders of Schoolhouse Studios. Photo by Lee Grant.

8 Schoolhouse Studios. Photo by U-P.

9 Vice office. Photo by U-P.

10 81–89 Rupert Street. Photographer unknown.

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Collingwood

Rupert Street is located in Collingwood. Collingwood is Wurundjeri Country owned by the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. Prior to being built up, the Yarra River would have been clearly visi-ble from the site. Collingwood is one of the oldest formal suburbs in Melbourne. Waves of migration have signifi-cantly shaped the area. Streets are populated by fabricators, wholesale clothing shops, auto repair shops and hidden creative studios. Retail is a key industry and most dense along Smith, Gertrude and Brunswick Street. Architecturally it is a mix of old and new; of brick, concrete, glass and metal. It is notable for the simple, everyday materials with which it is made; it’s a tough environment that is hard wearing and weathering. Despite the concrete nature of Collingwood there are many trees (several being native) including deep red flowering bottlebrushes, paperbark tea trees and several types of eucalypts. Deciduous Euro-pean trees such as London plane trees also feature. Plants grow out of the pavement and invade cracks or politely stay in their pots. Broadly speaking, the people of Collingwood congregate in bars and cafés. There is very little tradi-tional ‘civic’ space. Social housing defines the neighbourhood. The public housing towers are what will allow Colling-wood to hold onto its diversity despite rapid gentrifi-cation and change. Collingwood is loved for its texture and grit; but these very elements are under threat. Rising land prices and speculation are reducing affordable living and working spaces. Artists and underprivileged communities are being pushed out.

12 The Birrarung/Yarra River. Photo by U-P.

13 Car repair workshop on Smith Street. Photo by U-P.

14 Wholesale clothing shop on Langridge Street. Photo by U-P.

15 Corrugated iron shed on Rokeby Street. Photo by U-P.

16 Warehouse on Keele Street. Photo by U-P.

17 Manufacturing workshop on Rokeby Street. Photo by U-P.

18 Kloke fashion label studio on Little Oxford Street. Photo by U-P.

19 Plane trees on Peel Street. Photo by U-P.

20 Housing typologies. Photo by U-P.

21 Seating on the corner of Moor and Smith Streets. Photo by U-P.

22 Smith’s Cakes and Aquilana Pasticceria shop. Photo by U-P.

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Molonglo

Molonglo operates within the field of property devel-opment theory and practice. Since 1964, their projects have spanned prop-erty investment and development; hotel, hospitality and retail businesses; and research, publishing and public programs. They have seen, and continue to see, the topic of urban development as a truly expan-sive subject. Molonglo’s process is often collaborative and cross-disciplinary, which allows for enormous fluidity and flexibility. They operate under a model of long-term stewardship, not short-term wealth extraction. They exist to foster healthy, cohesive and tolerant societies. Molonglo has offices in Canberra, Melbourne, London and Athens.

24Molonglo’s Nishi building, located within the NewActon precinct, photographed at dawn. Photo by Tom Roe.

25The central atrium of the Nishi building in Molonglo’s NewActon precinct. Photo by Tom Roe.

26The Nishi building’s grand staircase, located in Molonglo’s NewActon precinct. Designed by March Studio. Photo by John Gollings.

27The Goodspeed bike shop; a Canberra retail business run in collaboration with Molonglo. Photo by U-P.

28A room at Hotel Hotel, a hotel owned and operated by Molonglo. Photo by Ross Honeysett.

29A Molonglo-led symposium on landscape architecture held at the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne. Photo by U-P.

30An exhibition on good neighbourhoods at Dairy Road in Canberra, programmed by Molonglo. Photo by Rohan Thomson.

6a architects

6a architects were founded by Tom Emerson and Stephanie Macdonald in 2001. They are best known for their contemporary art galleries, educational build-ings, artists’ studios and residential projects, often in materially rich and sensitive historic environments. They rose to prominence with the completion of two critically acclaimed public art galleries, Raven Row (2009), which won an RIBA Award in 2011, and the expanded South London Gallery (2010). Recently completed projects include the Black Stone Building (2017), a new apartment building in North London, arts and fashion centre Blue Mountain School (2018) and a warehouse conversion for storage and the display of a private art collection. Their 68-room hall of residence at Churchill College, Cambridge (2016) garnered an RIBA East Award (2017), and a new studio complex for photographer Juergen Teller (2016) was winner of several RIBA awards and short-listed for the Stirling Prize 2017.

32 Blue Mountain School. Photographer unknown.

33 Juergen Teller studio. Photographer unknown.

34 South London Gallery. Photographer unknown.

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Dan Pearson Studio

Dan Pearson is a British landscape and garden designer, plantsman, writer and journalist. His studio has been appointed to provide landscape design services at Rupert Street. Dan has designed gardens for Jonathan Ive, Paul Smith and Nigel Slater, and works regularly with architecture practices such as Zaha Hadid and David Chipperfield. He has worked on the Botanic Garden of Jerusalem and the Millenium Forest in Hokkaido, Japan. For the last 20 years Dan has written a weekly gardening column for The Times, The Daily Telegraph, and the Observer.

36 Maggie’s Centre gardens. Photo by Huw Morgan.

37 The Garden Museum. Photo by Huw Morgan.

38 Tokachi Millennium Forest. Photo by Kiichi Noro.

Project vision

WORK IS SOCIAL

COMMUNITIES ARE NATURAL

NATURE IS COMMON

RELAXATION IS PRODUCTIVE

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Rupert Street will have a continued life as a place for work, congregation and collaboration. The project will challenge the normalised typologies for vertical buildings and the office spaces that occupy them. The vision is for a diverse range of places within a single building, creating new paradigms for working, making, repairing, contemplating, meeting, creating and ideas exchange. It will support the already exist-ing creative and artistic communities onsite by provid-ing affordable, long-term, high-quality workspaces. This diverse range of workspaces will encourage the use of the building by a broad range of people; push-ing against the negative aspects of gentrification.

The project will:

Investigate methods for encouraging chance encounters in the vertical, those which more commonly exist on the street;

Encourage symbiotic arrangements between tenants and neighbours;

Seek to address issues of inequality in the built environment by finding new ways of encourag-ing openness, access and permeability both on the ground plane and across levels, blurring the boundary between public and private, and foster-ing a sense of wandering and discovery;

Provide public planted spaces for the Colling-wood community that are free from commercial transaction and accessible to everyone; and

Employ a recessive architecture; creating struc-tures that are rich, textured and granular and speak to our inner and often unconscious connectedness to natural, weathered materials, wonkiness and idiosyncrasy.

Project objectives

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SOCIALLY AND CULTURALLY RESPONSIVE

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BUILT TO HIGH ENVIRONMENTAL STANDARDS

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FACILITATING CRITICAL MASS AMONGST THE CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND PROVIDING THEM WITH A WORKING FUTURE IN COLLINGWOOD

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COMMERCIALLY VIABLE

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CAN BE HELD UP AS A CASE STUDY FOR BEST PRACTICE DEVELOPMENTS IN AUSTRALIA AND INTERNATIONALLY

Development principles

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Six overarching principles will guide the design and development of Rupert Street.

1Pluralism

MultiplicityRupert Street should be open to everyone; made and used by many different hands and minds. The building should give people of every age, gender identity, culture, religion, sexual preference, ability and socio-economic background the permis-sion to occupy.

Mixed useExperimentation in mixed use. Economically and socially diverse. Mixed land-uses.

AffordabilityEmploys radical approaches to tenanting a commercial building to provide a range of different pricing options.

ParticipationProvides opportunities for Collingwood locals and tenants to exercise their agency and participate in the development of the building and its ongoing operations.

Continuously evolvingLeaving the building ‘unfinished’ for ongoing evolu-tion and adaptation to suit the changing needs of the inhabitants.

2Scale with intimacy

DensitySufficient density to create a critical mass of culture and community, and to ensure the commercial viabil-ity of the project.

ConnectednessFosters an interconnected web of uses, cultivating symbiotic relationships between occupants. Encourages chance encounters in the vertical; those which more commonly exist on the street.

Resonance of placeA place that resonates with the multiple histories, mythologies, textures and landscapes of Collingwood.

Habitable spacesProvides an invitation to occupy — a series of nested spaces, providing many nooks for people to colonise.

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3Sustainable

Zero carbonIncorporates a zero carbon strategy tailored to the particularities of the site.

Zero wasteIncorporates a zero waste strategy tailored to the particularities of the site.

Sustainable transportPrioritises the transport and movement of people, walking and cycling, not cars. Future-proofs for innovation.

Sustainable materialsUses materials with the least amount of energy consumption and a lack of emissions; materials that create minimal waste and can continue to be created, or grow, rather than be depleted over time.

Passive designMinimises heating and cooling through a passive design tailored to the conditions of the site.

Local economyResponds to and supports the local Collingwood economy.

Health and happinessA design that makes it second nature to be active, provides quiet moments of repose and combats social isolation.

4In-between spaces

Public / PrivateEncourages openness, transparency and permeabil-ity both on the ground plane and across levels – blur-ring the boundary between public and private, and fostering a sense of wandering and discovery.

PlayA place to engage in rituals of play; to let the mind wander and the imagination roam free.

Active circulationCirculation around the buildings can be activated with life, commerce, art and culture.

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5Curation of place

Wurundjeri expressionRespectfully acknowledges that this project is on Wurundjeri Country owned by the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation. The project should seek to develop a meaningful connection with the Wurund-jeri community in order to build our collective under-standing of Wurundjeri culture and find ways to celebrate Wurundjeri knowledge and cultural exper-tise at the site.

Building as vesselA vessel for ongoing artistic and cultural creation. Interrogates place, explores curiosities, grows knowl-edge and encourages interaction through a diverse and rigorous public program.

ArtEngages with art and artists by necessity.

Artisanal makingAvoids the shiny and the mass-produced. Explores the texture, warmth and humanity of the handmade. Combines design innovation and craft in new ways to build character.

CommerceCreation of a hyper-local, circular economy.

6Nature as protagonist

Planted architectureDeeply researched botanical response which consid-ers the pre-colonial plant heritage of Collingwood as well as introduced species that tell a story about the human migration patterns of Collingwood.

A recessive architectureEmploys a recessive architecture; creating structures that are rich, textured and granular and speak to our inner and often unconscious connectedness to natu-ral, weathered materials, wonkiness and idiosyncrasy.

Sunlight and fresh airDraws the elements in and provides healthy workspaces.

Public green spaceOpen to everyone and able to be occupied without commercial transaction.

Public participation and research

The development of Rupert Street is being informed by rigorous public consultation and research. A full report of insights and ideas emerging from the initia-tives listed below is available on request.

1Public participation summary Design Advisory GroupAssembly of an advisory group of nine industry peers to guide the Rupert Street development. This group has been meeting quarterly since August 2018.

Working Groups A series of invitation-only, facilitated workshops where ‘experts’ from a range of different backgrounds came together to discuss issues linked to Rupert Street. Discussion topics included the local econ-omy, environment, art, affordability and gentrification, accessibility, and cohabitation and belonging.

Neighbourhood SurveyA study of the tenant landscape in the immediate area surrounding Rupert Street in order to iden-tify any gaps in service offerings, establish rela-tionships with local business owners and retailers, and identify opportunities for tenant rehousing. The study includes a map, contact directory and insights derived from stakeholder interviews.

Tenant Mix CommissionsFour tenant studies that explore a mix of use ‘themes’. Each tenant study includes a positioning paper and a target list of 50 potential tenants.

A Fixing and Making by Schoolhouse Studios

A Schoolhouse Studios is a not-for-profit arts organisation (and current Rupert Street tenant).

B Innovation and Learning by Matters Journal

C Food and Plants by Olivia Caputo

D Play and Rest by Right Angle Studio

Context MapsFour maps commissioned to Melbourne-based collaborators that enable Molonglo to understand Collingwood and Rupert Street from multi-sensory and divergent perspectives.

Select EngagementsTailored consultation with Collingwood Arts Precinct, Schoolhouse Studios and Vice Media (Rupert Street’s current tenants) and the Wurundjeri Tribe Council. Discussion with the Wurundjeri Tribe Council explored how the project could support and facilitate their interests, with a view to ongoing consultation. This included direct engagement with Uncle Dave Wandin, Wurundjeri Elder and head of the land management team. Regular meetings with School-house Studios and Vice Australia/NZ have focused on better understanding their use requirements.

Tall Buildings: their problems and some ideas SymposiumA half-day symposium as part of 2018’s Melbourne Design Week. ‘Tall Buildings’, looked at interrogating our understanding of high density; how people feel about tall buildings, what they don’t like about them and what they could do better. Learnings directly inform Rupert Street’s design development and mix of uses.

Landscape as Protagonist SymposiumA symposium featuring international guests as part of Melbourne Design Week 2019. The program asked: Why is the development industry’s current perspective on plants and landscapes in the built realm limited to aesthetics? Learnings will directly shape Rupert Street and its relationship with, and within, nature, and will also be published as an open resource for anyone working in, living in and enjoying the landscape.

Public TalksPublic talks at the National Gallery of Victoria by Rupert Street collaborators 6a architects and Dan Pearson Studio. Presentations articulated the values and ideas that underpin their respective practices, and which will be woven through the Rupert Street design. Each session included an audience Q&A session.

B Matters Journal is a Yarra-based publication that tells stories about the power of responsible business, the importance of personal impact and the need to live sustainably.C Olivia Caputo is a horticulturist at CERES community environment park, a not-for-profit sustainability centre located on 4.5 hectares on the Merri Creek in East Brunswick, Melbourne.D Right Angle Studio is a creative consultancy that exists to understand and improve life in our cities.

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2Research summary

Local Economy ReportAn analysis of several reports and strategies to under-stand Collingwood’s current and future economy.

Collingwood Botanical StudyA study of Collingwood’s past and present botani-cal landscape to inform the planted architecture at Rupert Street.

Radical Approaches to Tenanting Commercial Build-ings PaperA commissioned research paper by critical urbanist collective Failed Architecture investigating rent gaps, gentrification and alternative solutions for tenanting buildings in a way that protects and supports local communities while achieving commercial viability.

Insights

1Insight The majority of Yarra businesses are SMEs. Non-em-ploying businesses, and small businesses employing 1 to 4 people, make up 82% of all registered busi-nesses in the municipality.

StrategyIncorporation of micro tenancies. Larger floor plates are to be split into smaller micro tenancies. For exam-ple a workspace floorplate of 700 square metres (sqm) is split into six smaller tenancies ranging from 30 to 150 sqm.

2Insight Retail is a key industry for Yarra but is currently strug-gling. Between 2006 and 2011, employment in retail increased significantly by 20%, despite challeng-ing conditions for traders. However, between 2011 and 2014, conditions for retailers have deteriorated further and it is unknown what the current employ-ment levels are within the sector.

StrategyProvision of one retail tenancy, offered to an inno-vative retailer via an Expression of Interest format. Inclusion of retail micro tenancies on the ground plane to achieve greater affordability.

3InsightCollingwood is part of a local, and state-wide, focus on the creative economy. Businesses here are involved in a range of creative services such as archi-tecture and design, software and interactive design, and visual arts. The fashion and clothing industry has a long tradition within the Collingwood area and is still present with a number of boutique and special-ist designers.

Strategy Inclusion of approximately 1300 sqm of office space for creative studios and the businesses and services that support them. Provision of one large co-working space of approximately 2000 sqm with a focus on creative industry.

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A

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SourcesA Yarra Economic Development StrategyB Yarra Economic Development Strategy, Creative State Strategy and Victorian Government websites

SourcesA Yarra Economic Development StrategyC Yarra Economic Development Strategy, REMPLAN tourism estimates, Australian Bureau of Statistics

4Insight Yarra’s manufacturing industry is changing. Manu-facturing activities that are labour-intensive are increasingly moving offshore, and space-intensive activities are locating in outer suburban growth areas. Future manufacturing opportunities will lie in more advanced, specialist manufacturing.

StrategyTo provide approximately 475 sqm of maker spaces at Rupert Street such as productive spaces for small batch makers or fabrication labs.

5Insight The knowledge economy is growing. Yarra has the highest concentration of knowledge sector jobs in Inner Melbourne, with the exception of City of Melbourne.

StrategyTo commission local publishing organisation Matters Journal to explore the extent and impact of the knowl-edge sector in the area and develop a target list of 50 potential tenants with a view to bringing together a cluster of activity around this use.

6InsightTourism is key to growing Yarra’s economy, though is currently held back by poor accommodation. Tourism is a major component of Yarra’s local econ-omy with visitors attracted to its iconic precincts for their unique mix of retail strips, nightlife, heritage, arts and culture.

StrategyTo incorporate a mid-sized hotel that will reset bench-marks of what a quality hotel can be.

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A

C

SourcesD Neighbourhood surveyE Neighbourhood survey, Working groups, Design advisory group

7Insight “There isn’t much missing, except space to bring the community together.” There is an overwhelming desire for more public space in Collingwood, includ-ing family-friendly facilities; safe spaces for self-ex-pression; and more big, open and green spaces.

StrategyTo resist market forces to allocate the rooftop to the highest bidder. To leave the rooftop open and acces-sible to the people of Collingwood; only tenanted by social and cultural uses for the roof such artist studios, presentation space or a community hall that can be used by all tenants and the broader community.

8Insight“We embrace change, but like it rough around the edges.” There is the desire to preserve the charac-ter of the neighbourhood, maintaining its wonkiness and idiosyncrasy.

StrategyTo provide an open, flexible building that tenants can easily adapt, configure and reconfigure to suit their needs. Ensure spaces are not over designed or over specified to allow for adaptability and a sense of ownership. Building design to respond to the hard wearing industrial texture of the neighbourhood.

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E

Tenants and uses

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1Statement

Molongo’s relationship with a site goes beyond build-ing to sell. We invest in projects we are prepared to commit to long-term, and this long-termism means we have a depth of care that is incomparable. It is in our best interest to continually contribute to, improve and evolve our projects. We genuinely care about the success of our tenants and work collaboratively with them so that they can better achieve their goals. Our purpose is to make places that matter. Places that positively contribute to cities and improve people’s lives. Places that add, rather than subtract. Places that are sustainable. Places that are inclusive and pluralistic. Places that people feel proud of. There are many converging elements that come together to make great places but above all else a place can only be as warm as the people that live and work there. We are devoted to the best design, management and functionality of our buildings, recognising that these things help to make places that people want to be in. We resist the creation of monocultures; recog-nising that economic, social and cultural diversity is what is needed to foster vibrant, tolerant and cohe-sive communities at our sites over the long term. To create diversity it is acknowledged that our projects require a level of density so that we can offer rent at more affordable rates while maintaining commercial viability.

2Uses breakdown

The uses for the building have been informed by the location of the site, public participation program and research and Molonglo’s past experience in deliver-ing mixed-use buildings and precincts. A diverse range of uses has been defined because we believe they will draw a more diverse audience and in turn a more resilient and vibrant building.

Use Target Tenants

# of Tenancies

Tenancy Sizes

Approx Net Lettable Area

CulturalSpaces for exhibition, performance and public programs, as well as the production of artistic work.

Artist studios, library, performance space, exhibition space

Up to 2 From 1 to 650 sqm

~ 1000 sqm

SocialSpaces for people to come together for a shared purpose; as well as workspaces for organisations working towards social impact.


~ 480 sqm

MakingSpaces for makers, digital fabrication and small-batch producers.

Small fabrication lab, showroom, clothing manufacturing


~ 675 sqm

LearningPlaces to learn and acquire new skills. This use applies across all age ranges.

Adult education, children education, incubators and accelerators


~ 580 sqm

Retail and hospitalityPlaces for the sale of goods, services or entertainment.

Cafe, restaurant, canteen, bar, bakery, market, grocer, cinema, homewares, bookshop, florist, fashion and apparel, and personal services such as a cobbler, laundry and hair salon


~ 2,000 sqm

Workspace (offices or studios)Dedicated workspaces for individual businesses or organisations.

Creative studios and the businesses that support them


~ 1,350 sqm

Workspace (coworking)A shared workspace managed by one entity.

1 ~ 1950 sqm ~ 1950 sqm

AccommodationA place to stay short-term.

Hotel 1 ~ 3000 sqm ~ 3000 sqm

Health and self-carePlaces that look after your physical and mental fitness.

Yoga, pilates, bathhouse, massage, health consultants


~ 1450 sqm

Gardens Rooftop gardens, courtyards, terraces

From 60 to 250 sqm

~ 1000 sqm

molonglogroup.com.au

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Documents

WALK UP VILLAGE 81–89 RUPERT STREET COLLINGWOOD