Allen Jack + Cottier designs the Flour Mill Studios in Sydney
Interesting things happen when
worlds collide. The conversion of a
disused flour mill into one of Sydney’s
most anticipated office developments
began as a collage of ideas. Intimate,
funky, industrial, Flourmill Studios is an
exciting – if unprecedented – fusion of
new meets old.
The brainchild of property developer,
Andrew Podgornik, the studios are
a lean, green alternative for creative
small-business people who
appreciate an inner-city
location.
Carpets are made from
recycled PET plastic
bottles, the cyclists’
room is fitted out
with secure
bike and personal lockers, and a shared
‘Go Get’ car is available to occupants
via an internet booking system.
But the building’s tangible grain,
from weathered brickwork to rusted
apparatus, proved irresistible to project
architect, Kate Mountstephens, and
the adaptive re-use team.
“Some studios will feature warehouse style
timber columns and beams,
original timber loading-bay doors,
historic sliding fire doors, and the
remnants of the drive shafts, wheels
and belts that once powered
the mill,” says Kate.
Other studios will take advantage of
soaring double-height spaces with
concrete ceilings, steel beams and an
overhead soda hopper once used to
produce flour.
Common ‘break out’ areas will
incorporate balconies and tea stations,
providing informal meeting places for
all the buildings users.
Topped by a framework of original
steel columns and beams, the
entrance courtyard will be overlooked
by balconies adapted from the Mill’s
loading bays. To one side of the
entrance, the Studios’ new café will
provide a vibrant meeting place, with
seating extending into the
courtyard.
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