The former Brompton Gasworks in Adelaide’s inner-west is set to be redeveloped into a new “village”, with the adaptive reuse of the old gasworks structures.
Melbourne and Adelaide-based practice Forum is the architect and urban design consultant leading the project, which will create a “vibrant, inner-city destination that mixes the past with the future, blending history, sustainability and community,” said Forum director Ed Mitchell.
The site, 5.81 hectares of long-dormant gasworks, will eventually accommodate 1,200 residents across 800 new homes (200 townhouses and 600 apartments), 15 percent of which will be affordable housing delivered through not-for-profit housing providers.
The former gasworks structures including a chimney stack and heritage quarter, will be transfromed into new bars, restaurants, cafes, commercial office space, and a 120-room hotel.
The village will provide around 1.5 hectares of publicly accessible open space for recreation and entertainment opportunities, covering more than 25 percent of the total area of the site.
South Australian housing minister Nick Champion said the project would unlock much-needed housing supply for Adelaide’s western suburbs.
Successful tenderer MAB will invest close to half a billion dollars over the life of the project to deliver the vision for the gasworks site, expected to take 12 years to complete.
The Brompton Gasworks previously received a bid from Adelaide Football Club as the site of its new headquarters, which was rejected in favour of the masterplanned village proposed by MAB.
According to an Aecom consulting appraisal, MAB’s proposal “more closely aligns” with the planning and design code, creating the greatest diversity for housing product and the best response to existing heritage structures.
The new precinct will be gas free, with all-electric homes powered by 100 percent renewable energy. Brompton Gasworks is targeting a 6-star Green Star rating, representing global leadership in environmentally sustainable practices. Remedial works to the site is expected to begin in 2023.
