Elizabeth Street Arcade set to see 2m walk through its laneway
A revitalised Brisbane arcade is set to welcome more than two million people through its laneway, which is now home to an Asian-style eat street, hundreds of units and a social hub.
QLD News
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MORE than two million people each year are set to walk through a recently transformed inner city laneway.
The redeveloped Elizabeth Arcade underneath Student One’s two-tower accommodation joins Brisbane’s growing laneway scene, with the city revitalising its forgotten cross-block links and delivering more than just a shortcut.
At 90-metre-long and 20-metre-wide it is described by architects as being a fusion of an arcade from Elizabeth street and a laneway from Charlotte Street that meets at a ‘social heart’.
With one space yet to be leased and two more restaurants to open within months, 12 food and beverage outlets will create a Japanese ‘FudoDori’ or ‘eat street’.
Architects Arkhefield principal Andrew Gutteridge said Brisbane arcades were often not regarded as great places, so they took advantage of the two separate towers and designed it as a subtropical nod to the city.
“When you’re looking at Melbourne laneways, the ones that work really well for gatherings and food are those without a roof, open to the sky,” he said.
“So that’s why we opened it to the sky at the social heart in the middle and activated it with student housing and restaurant retail, so they all lean on each other and create a great energy.”
The redevelopment’s most important feature was retaining the cross-block walkway between Elizabeth and Charlotte Streets, and original features which create “warmth and character” according to Associate Architect Zoe Ridgway.
“Retaining that link which has a lot of history and memories for the people of Brisbane, and the amount of the footfall of people walking through there to QUT and beyond, was important,” she said.
The $177 million development can house 901 students across its Elizabeth and Charlotte Street towers, in multi-share, studio, Queen and executive rooms.
The Student One purpose-built accommodation helps meet the ever-growing demand of student housing, especially with Brisbane’s nearly 80,000 international students.
Student One CEO Tim Weston said they provide homes for domestic and international students, focus on integrating the housing with the city.
“We play a significant part in the role of ensuring students have safe and suitable accommodation.
“We provide something that appeals to people from all over the world and the education market that’s essential to a city like Brisbane,” he said.
Ms Ridgway said the building showcases the original Elizabeth Arcade featuring recycled bricks and timber beams and public art by seven-time Archibald Prize finalist Kate Beynon.
“It was designed so that from the centre of the arcade — the social heart — it’s possible to connect to connect to potential future laneways.”
She said it could link with the already existing “informal connection between the heritage listed John Mills Himself building on Charlotte Street and the back of the ATO building on Elizabeth Street”.
“There’s a potential for a cool, modern laneway through properties on that side.”
A spokesperson from the Office of the Queensland Government Architect said the reopened arcade demonstrated development could enhance the urban fabric of cities through design excellence.
“The project provides a legible, fine grain connection that activates the ground plane with a vibrant food offering, public pedestrian thoroughfare and student hang out space.”
Originally published as Elizabeth Street Arcade set to see 2m walk through its laneway