Saturday, 27 October 2012

Myer Centre Program

The total leasing area of the Myer Centre is approximately 63,500 sqm comprising of Department Stores (Myer Centre, Target, Best & Less, etc) 49.3%, Discount Outlets 11.5%, Supermarket 3.1%, Mini Major Shops 6.6%, Specialty 21.8%, Other Retail 6.3% and Non Retail 1.4%. Other uses such as a cinema and bars are within the Myer Centre and contribute to the use of the site.

The future role of retail will be signficant in determining the program and design of the Myer Centre. Recalculating the design of the Myer Centre should consider the following:

- Attempting to get more value out of the overall site to lower tenancy prices. This is a way to 'compete' or introduce similar characteristics of online shopping into physical retail.
- Zones or spaces for 'market' or 'pop-up' retail. Smaller tenancies in the myer centre could become these pop up shops to reduce operating costs. This market archetype is more conducive to spontaneous shopping which suits the site. Having these zones near circulation is important because users are not likely to travel three floors up or down to visit an unknown store. The core retail of the Myer Centre will always attract significant amounts of the store users so the location of those stores can be inconvenient or located away from circulation. If avoidable, retail would ideally be convenient to access.
- Tailoring the shopping experience to Brisbane. This relates to shops inside, products sold, design responding to the local culture and climate moreso that a generic shopping centre cliche.
- This is more of a retail theory rather than design theory - products that last and reflect quality. Trends are quick so designing products which aren't so indulgent but stand the test of time.
- Timeless design to cater for adapting and evolving tenancies but require minimal refurbishment over time other than lightweight reworks of individual tenancies. Looking into open play retail layouts similar to department stores but for numerous retail precincts.

The program of the Myer Centre would need to remain similar to the current precinct. What would benefit the site is introducing of more uses but also recalculating how the smaller retail tenancies operate. Rather than re-design the entire Myer Centre, an 'intervention' or retrofit of a section could go a lot further and be more efficient and less waste of money.

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