Gold Coast Sheds Reimagined in Retail Reinvention

Adaptive reuse has become the mother of boutique retail reinvention on Queensland’s Gold Coast.

Developer Barakat Properties is converting a 40-year-old row of light industrial sheds into an upmarket strip of retail studios in Southport’s Ferry Road precinct.

The repurposing and redesign of the complex by Brisbane design studio Woodsters and Herron Coorey Builders is under way on the 2605sq m site at 15 Pinter Drive and due for completion in May.

To be known as Alcove, it will comprise 10 innovative and spacious retail spaces ranging from 100sq m to 150sq m with the ability to interconnect tenancies.

Each of the retail tenancies will feature open floorplans, double swing front doors, individual porches and arbors with mature-landscaped planter boxes. As well, there will be 28b onsite car parking spaces.

Key to the conversion is upcycled brickwork and whitewash finishes with arched windows and a modern Spanish influence to create spaces that enable retailers looking to “curate and elevate their customer experience”.

The industrial property was built in the early 1980s and was given little attention during the intervening years.

“The bones of the building were structurally sound with clean lines and impressive four-metre-high ceiling voids, offering great flexibility for use and new fit outs,” Barakat Properties director Joseph Barakat said.

▲ Render of the adaptive re-use of the row of light industrial sheds on the Gold Coast.

Barakat described the concept behind the adaptive reuse as “community-inspired retail”.

“We want to create a retail setting that is more than just a group of mixed shops,” he said. “It is about delivering a retail precinct with a village feel.

“Through a carefully curated and complementary tenancy mix, we will create a community of like-minded businesses with a strong customer focus and a commitment to making connections with locals, new clientele and each other.”

Woodsters founder Oliver Burscough said upcycling was a central focus of Alcove’s design.

▲ Render of the adaptive re-use of the row of light industrial sheds on the Gold Coast.

“We didn’t want to waste anything, so we reused as much as possible,” he said. “We worked with the existing brick, and had custom-made steel arches which create a spectacular portal to each space, and allow natural light to pour in.

“Another important feature was the extent of the landscaping. Each tenant has its own garden bed and there are large concrete planter boxes and trellises with mature plants. This really helps create a welcoming, village feel.”

Burscough said the space had been designed to encourage “cross-pollination” between tenants.

“The plan is that the businesses at Alcove will complement each other, rather than compete with each other. It  is a great representation of a change in approach to commercial design, one that more and more contemporary developers are taking.”