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Architects: Genton
- Area: 8492 m²
- Year: 2020
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Photographs:Peter Clarke
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Manufacturers: AutoDesk, Colorbond, Rimex
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Lead Architects: Marc Debney
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Text description provided by the architects. Leading architecture firm Genton’s recently completed Reservoir Station project — conceived in collaboration with landscape architects McGregor Coxall — revitalises the civic heart of a burgeoning suburb, with a design that references its historic character and looks to the future.
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“The project was an opportunity to expand on the design thinking learned through our multi-award winning Frankston Station. When approaching civic design, we aim to celebrate the local context, driven by a commitment to creating meaningful, community-led spaces,” says Genton Principal Marc Debney.
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Genton’s approach to designing Reservoir Station capitalises on the elevated rail corridor — a recent addition, and the first in Melbourne’s Northern suburbs — to create transformative dialogue between Reservoir’s previously disconnected high streets.
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Removing the existing barrier between Edwardes Street and Broadway, the urban design solution links the central community and retail spine, catalysing pedestrian activation, enhancing accessibility and public safety, and providing a newly landscaped public space to bring the community together.
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Wrapped in a translucent canopy, the Reservoir Station design creates a striking civic landmark, defining the suburban centre. Whether viewed up close or in motion by commuters, the canopy’s angles and undulations interact with light in a manner that reflects the nature of rippling water — inspired by Reservoir’s history as the key water infrastructure of Melbourne,
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Set at an opposing angle, the addition of a secondary canopy frames the visual connection between the now-unified community precinct. The facade’s perforated, anodised skin serves a dual purpose for the station, balancing the requirements for weather protection with the desire for views, air and light to produce a space that feels uplifting and joyful for daily commuters.
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Sheltering the space from the harshness of surrounding roads, the ground level external walls are conceived as barriers, employing a robust material palette of black concrete and light stainless steel cladding, while brown bricks in the station forecourt allude to the suburban inter-war and post-war Architecture of the area.
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As briefed by the client, North West Program Alliance — which includes the Level Crossing Removal Project, Metro Trains Melbourne, John Holland and KBR — Reservoir Station was designed to provide for projections of significant growth in the prospering suburb, including allowances for a larger bus exchange and tram route, with an understanding that Reservoir Station will become an important transport interchange in the future.
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“As public transportation usage increases due to population growth and consciousness around sustainability, we design these spaces with the intention that they become both a hub for connectivity and a source of civic pride,” says Debney.
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Informed by careful consideration of the surrounding environment, Genton’s Reservoir Station project is a testament to transport infrastructure’s ability to enhance urban settings, seamlessly integrating civic life and setting Reservoir on track for sustainable growth.
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