The Boatbuilders Yard

by Six Degrees Architects

From The Architect

Situated in the underutilised, maritime district of the Yarra River, this project aspires to revitalise the area carrying a human scale to a harsh and intimidating open area. The proposal was to transform the place into a new hospitality venue, The Boat Builder’s Yard, to inspire occupation of the site by both guests to the Polly Woodside as well as locals from South Bank and Docklands.

To spark the new riverside walk, the venture needed to negotiate a equilibrium between the human scale and the neighbouring sizeable buildings. The tactic for this was theoretically based on the Japanese model of pavilions inside a naturalised setting. The focus was to produce intimacy and curiosity for patrons inside a large setting.

Purposefully, the place is left as a permeable pedestrian region, with several points of entry and the power to traverse the site in a variety of directions, inspiring people to cut through the site on their way to their authentic destination.

Situated in the underutilised, maritime district of the Yarra River, this project aspires to revitalise the area carrying a human scale to a harsh and intimidating open area.