Chadstone Shopping Centre expansion opens its doors
The Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne recently opened its $660 million expansion, making it the largest shopping mall in the Southern Hemisphere. The design of the latest edition to the mall, including its iconic glass roof, was the result of a partnership between The Buchan Group and Arcadis subsidiary CallisonRTKL.
The Chadstone Shopping Centre in Melbourne first opened its doors in 1960, modelled on the successful development of shopping malls in the US. In the intervening years, the mall has undergone 34 redevelopments and more than quadrupled in size, today boasting to be the largest shopping centre in the Southern Hemisphere.
The latest expansion of the shopping centre, which involved an investment of $660 million, was recently opened. The latest development was the brain child of The Buchan Group, as Executive Architect, and CallisonRTKL, as Concept Designer. CallisonRTKL was formed in 2015, following the combination of Callison and RTKL as subsidiaries of Arcadis – today it has a team of 2,000 specialist consultants globally.
One of CallisonRTKL’s central roles was the development of the 31-meter high, 7,000-square meter gridshell glass roof. The roof provides considerable natural sunlight, as well as an iconic space under which to shop. In addition, the firm worked on the development of space for 100 new retailers and entertainment offerings – which includes a Legoland amusement centre.
Angus McNaughton, CEO and Managing Director of Vicinity Centres, remarks, “This world-class architecture reflects the essence of leading flagship retail and iconic locations from around the globe, and perfectly showcases the premium customer experience on offer at Chadstone.”
CallisonRTKL Director Jorge Beroiz, says, “The client didn’t want just any roof. They wanted the best roof in the world – one that could redefine the boundaries of what is possible. Every single panel of glass is different. Every node is different. I don’t think I’ll ever design another roof quite like this in my career.”
CallisonRTKL, in partnership with The Buchan Group, has a long history with the development of the mall, dating back to 1988, when it was tasked with the design of a 52,000-square meter addition. In more recent years, the firm worked on the addition of Chadstone Place in 2008 and Chadstone West Mall in 2009.
