(DESIGN TEAM) Dairy Road Masterplan
(COUNTRY) Ngunnawal
More than 20 years ago, property developer Molonglo bought Dairy Road, a unique 14-hectare plot on the outskirts of Canberra between the industrial suburb of Fyshwick and the Jerrabomberra Wetlands. Consisting of carparks, some light industrial sheds that had been used for government storage and a mound made from the tailings dump from the construction of Parliament House, the site would have held little appeal for most developers. But Molonglo began carrying out planning work, research reports and impact assessment studies. In 2017, undaunted, the developer began contemplating the site’s future – not by drafting a masterplan, but by exploring the best way to adapt and re-use the existing buildings.
Initially working with Craig Tan Architects and Oculus, Molonglo began a sophisticated series of lightweight interior architectural insertions made of stained plywood and grooved-board structures to transform the sheds into a place for makers (Building 3). These structures create a “village” within
