Burwood Brickworks: Grand opening for unique sustainable shopping centre
It’s been a long wait, but worth it for the crowds swamping the world-first sustainable Burwood Brickworks shopping complex, which boasts a rooftop farm and fruit trees in the carpark. Here’s what’s happening during three days of launch festivities.
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The hub of the mega Burwood Brickworks development is a shopping centre so green it’s been described as a “living building’’.
Hundreds turned out today for the official opening of the centre, which features a 2000sq m rooftop farm to service an in-house restaurant/bar, cafe and eatery.
About 250 trees have been planted to cover the northern side of the centre with fruit trees lining each row of the carpark.
Three days of festivities kicked off with a primary school choir performance, a ribbon cutting, indigenous dancing and a welcome to country.
The next several days will include food trucks, free gelato, carnival-style activations including face painting, stilt walkers and a magician, as well as live music.
The shopping centre will also complement a housing development, of which construction is now underway.
The first apartment owners are likely to move in towards the end of next year, Frasers retail executive general manager Peri McDonald said.
“The journey we have undertaken in pursuit of delivering an actual living building is something that we are truly proud of,” he said.
Woolworths format development director Rob McCartney said the company was delighted to be involved in the world-leading sustainability project.
“As Australia’s largest retailer we recognise the environmental impact of our operations and understand we have a responsibility to lead in this space,” he said.
“The opening of Woolworths Burwood Brickworks is a further step in our long-term ambition to reduce our impact on the environment and operate our stores more sustainably.”
MORE: GRAND OPENING PLANNED
A large Dan Murphy’s store and Readings Cinema’s first Victorian Titan Luxe theatre are also features of the centre.
The focal point of the building, the expansive ceiling covered by a permanent art installation by Mandy Nicholson, a Wurundjeri, Dja Dja wurrung and Ngurai illum wurrung woman, draws the attention of all who visit.
For information on Burwood Brickworks shopping centre and Frasers Property Australia, visit burwoodbrickworks.shopping