by Y. Angevin-Castro and R. Hurst
Artichoke (Australia)
No. 32, 2010
pp. 90-92, 101-104
Two HASSELL projects featured in No 32 of Artichoke magazine - the Zenith showroom in Melbourne and the Giant Panda Forest at Adelaide Zoo.
The Zenith showroom in Melbourne's Flinders Lane sees the furniture manufacturer and distributor relocating from their former premises in Albert Park, designed by HASSELL some five years ago. As designer Anthony Dickens observed: "A major part of moving the showroom to the CBD was to become more engaged with the architectural community and to become part of the broader design fabric of Melbourne." Situated in a 1900s building, the showroom and associated offices are spread over three levels, with voids and lighting creating dramatic effects and spaces.
The Giant Panda Forest, home to Funi and Wang Wang, continues to receive media attention, with the purpose-built panda enclosure being praised for being both serene and functional. More than just a means of displaying its celebrity occupants, the holding pens are all about "first-principles design research, rigorous performance criteria and integrated multidisciplinary practice," and are designed to ensure the pandas are healthy and happy, thereby promoting the chances of them breeding.
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