Eastland Mall
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Building Type: Shopping Centre
Status: Completed 2015
Credit: Softroom
The redevelopment of the Eastland Mall enriches a familiar type of retail environment. An iconic design for the mall extension gave direction for the interior architecture, roof and public square. The design of Eastland needed to contain enough variety and richness to sustain an active and enjoyable public life.
The form of the glass-vaulted arcade was inspired by European precedents to create a new public space at the heart of the project. While the Town Square was conceived as a contemporary update of the traditional 17th-century London urban square, the East Mall was a conscious development of the arcade form exemplified by the late 19th century gallerias in Milan and Moscow.
The East Mall is formed by an array of tall arches, which give the space an air of generosity and lightness, as well as future flexibility for retail across three levels. The proportion of these arches emphasises the height of the space, and the close spacing of the structural elements helps achieve a fineness which belies their scale.
The interior public space design encompassed all levels of detail, including the design of void edges and bulkheads, flooring patterns and handrails. We also proposed a methodology for the anchor shop fronts and amenity design principles.
