Projects

In the highway scape of Sunshine West, Glen Gala Shopping Centre is part of a large land subdivision bordering Melbourne’s Western Ring Road.

Visually, the shopping centre has distinct legibility, responding to two different scales – the larger urban scale and the smaller residential scale. It has a strong identity without the use of excessive signage, and is highly visible to both fast-moving motorists on the Western Ring Road and residents in the internal streets to the east.

Adapting the principles of Jane Jacobs – who advocates a vibrant, mixed-use urban aesthetic to enhance the human experience – the development contrasts with more conventional retail planning by engaging directly with its own street frontage, rather than being sited behind extensive car parking. Its most distinguishing feature is the long, sweeping eaves, which were manipulated to create a dynamic silhouette.

Within the shopping centre, the supermarket is wrapped in specialty retail stores, providing active, fine-grain frontage and adding vitality to the streetfront.