A Guide Book to Whimsical Development in Paddington
The project consists of a series of buildings ranging from low to medium density development in the inner city suburb Paddington, Brisbane.
The brief was carefully generated to test the inherent conflicts of introducing mixed uses into a suburban centre at increasing densities. Opposing programmes – from childcare vs brothel & cigar bar to short term backpacker accommodation vs long term residential dwellings – were juxtaposed to achieve this.
The objective: Establishing guidelines for consolidated development in culturally important, character sensitive, inner suburban centres.
Jury Comment
The intentions of the project are commendable. Developers and the public need this reference for adventurous and rich intervening forms, which either challenge or illuminate land use planning legislation. The jury detected a dichotomy between strategies to be applied in similar places and an architectural style that is specific yet appears not to acknowledge the existing fabric of Paddington. The provocative juxtaposition of some uses will excite much public debate.
