31 Queen Street

In the heart of Melbourne, the designers of Gray Puksand were able to deliver a new refresh approach to the refurbishment of a building foyer and street facade with a balance of modern and traditional design techniques. To ensure the viability of the building, the new identity was an essential component of the renewal process. As spatial constructs are more or less defined by existing parameters and the expected life span is approximately 15 years, refurbishment of the 31 Queen Street foyer space is akin to the approach of set design. In this case the performance is the day to day activity of tenants within the commercial environment.

The city is now a 24/7 entity, where it’s important to ‘market’ such addresses outside of traditional building hours. Coming to life at night as a sculptural space to street view assists with the significance of the place.

A number of elements have been implemented to strengthen the building appearance from street view. Externally it has received a dynamic facelift with the installation of a sculptural canopy. Designed in association with artist and sculptor Dan Templeman, the new canopy provides a new identity and presence at street level. A pure abstraction form to ‘go with the flow’ on one hand, yet ‘critique’ the geometry of the existing building on the other.

Internally, a folding wall of Corian^® and internally-lit perforated metal panels surround and reinvigorate the core. With lighting, the core wall punches out into the street, creating an impact both during the day and night, providing a strong aura and connection to the outside. The purity and abstraction of form adds a three dimensional layer to what is typically a flat plane. According the designers of Gray Puksand, flexibility, seamlessness and consistency of finish were key elements to the design; and Corian^® enabled them to achieve all these important elements.