The Meat Market is a historic and iconic creative space located on the northern fringe of Melbourne’s CBD. Originally Melbourne’s wholesale meat market, the heritage listed building has had several different uses before becoming a dedicated performing arts and creative space in 1995.

 

Creative Victoria, part of the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions sought to introduce an accessible entry from the northern side of the venue, to assist with access and flow of visitors when large events are held onsite. We were engaged to complete detailed design and documentation of this new entry, comprising a ramp, stairs, and canopy.

 

As a heritage building, we engaged closely with Heritage Victoria and worked around several challenges in the existing building fabric, including needing to expand the single door entry removing some of the old brickwork in the process as well as manage the structural design around the significant gum trees onsite. We were required to design the accessible path using a wet pour rubber surface, similar to what is found in playgrounds, to avoid impacting the tree’s root system.

 

The new addition needed to differentiate itself from the original building, and we sought a duality between highlighting the canopy as ‘new’ in white, whilst the ramps and stairs are clad in dark timbers and black aluminium, both durable and linking to the native gum trees adjacent to the entry. The timber used for the battens was selected to match the existing timber batten fence along Courtney St.

 

Traditional Owners: The Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong / Boon Wurrung Peoples of the Kulin Nation

Client: Creative Victoria, part of the Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions

Builder: Ascot Group

Photography: MCA