With the opening late last year of One Central Park’s Living Mall another stage in the ambitious $2b Central Park mixed-use development is complete. This new shopping precinct energises the Chippendale site, bringing welcome convenience and activity to the community’s growing urban village.

It was never going to be a modest exercise in retail design and with developers Frasers Property and Sekisui House at the helm no expense was spared. Ateliers Jean Nouvel with PTW Architects were also responsible for designing the multi-level vertical mall, successfully extending the building’s slick, polished aesthetic inside.

The result is a shiny, new 14,000sqm interior that keeps consumers engaged with just the right mix of accessibility, spectacle and comfort. Its most resounding design expression is the generously sized central atrium, which lets in an abundance of natural light.

This sun-drenched interior is aided by the 110 tonne heliostat mirror system that sits atop the East Tower. It reflects light into the space in one of many ESD features that has seen the development awarded three Green Star ratings. The atrium does seem to ‘push’ the shops into the background, but the refreshingly large size of each tenancy balances the ‘recessed’ shop fronts.

Green walls on either side of the entry escalators and a ground-level digital wall are also notable design features, however, it’s Central Kitchen on the second level that warrants the most attention. This is how you design a food court and Design Clarity has delivered an instantly appealing, modern fit-out.

All finishes and details are decidedly high-end, proving food courts need not be cheap or tacky. Standout furniture includes green and white Enea Lottus chairs and Vondom Moma stools in black and white, all supplied by Ke-Zu. They are the perfect compliment to the Design Clarity-designed bespoke timber banquettes and high bars.

Colourful Eboy wallpaper by Milton & King injects a sense of playfulness into the food court and this will undoubtedly appeal to the district’s large student population. As the outdoor dining area opens and the fifth-level Creative Playground begins to take shape, Frasers Property and Sekisui House stand to deliver on their promise of a lively hub for downtown Sydney.

Photography courtesy of Frasers Property

Central Park
centralparksydney.com

Frasers Property
frasersproperty.com.au

Sekisui House
sekisuihouse.com.au