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Micro accommodation reuse to arrest urban decay.
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Urban decay, caused by the abandonment of commercial and industrial spaces presents a challenge to communities around the world.
Sub, a pixel (micro) hotel in the pump pit of the South Brisbane dry dock aims to reframe the use to activate the space and environment after dark. Reactivating the space through accommodation balances the tension between dynamic activity and stillness reflecting the dry dock’s heritage use in that the ships being serviced in place were finally at rest after perilous ocean voyages, and the workers and pumps at the dry dock kicked into action. Then in reverse, as the ship set sail for other global ports the workers could take a moment of rest.
Materiality references both the natural environment and industrial uses of the site with recycled hardwood, off-form concrete and copper present. The colour palette is inspired by the changing nature of light intensity and colour through water, creating a thematic and moody space. The goal of this pixel is connection, both to each other and the river that shapes the city.
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Materiality references both the natural environment and industrial uses of the site with recycled hardwood, off-form concrete and copper present. The colour palette is inspired by the changing nature of light intensity and colour through water, creating a thematic and moody space. The goal of this pixel is connection, both to each other and the river that shapes the city.
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Located on Turrbal Country, the site was a small winter camp for the indigenous population, within a larger camp overlay extending over areas of South Brisbane.
Colonisation brought industry to South Brisbane in the form of wharves for loading timber, coal and agricultural products from further inland towards Ipswich and the Darling Downs. Coal storage featured heavily in South Brisbane and a small section of the tracks used to transport coal still exist on the Maritime Museum site.
In 1855 a need to be able to provide repairs to the increasing marine and river traffic was identified. The dry dock and associated pump pit were realised between 1875 and 1880. The project used local quarried stone, ironbark timber and was the first project in Queensland to use Portland cement for concrete.
Recognising the importance of the dry dock to the American and Australian Navies during World War Two, the original tin roof was replaced with the concrete bunker visible above ground today which sits atop muting the sounds of the city surrounds.
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The stillness is magnified in the recurring square form of the floor plan and the quarried block wall. The circle forms are indicative of turbulence and movement associated with the busy dry dock.
The colour reflectivity changes as you travel down through the space akin to descending through a column of water. The colour palette reinforces this experience.
