COMMENDATION / CHRISTOPHER MULLANEY

PROJECT DETAILS
Project: Muloobinba
Student: Christopher Mullaney
University: University of Newcastle,
Tutor: Chris Tucker
Class: 2012 / fifth year

This project presents a framework for adaptive re-use developments in the post-industrial city of Newcastle and outlines an alternative method by which these ventures may be undertaken – a process where architects become agents of the community, taking on a number of roles, including that of developer, political advisor, site manager, fundraiser and performer to identify sites of potential and facilitate their inhabitation through collaboration.

‘Muloobinba’, a disused floating dock in Newcastle’s harbour, has been used as a prototype for these ideas. Viewed as a space-for-hire, the following submission presents eight possible phases constructed gradually over time and at various locations along the waters edge. It is proposed that the redevelopment of the dock would be initiated by a small collective including the architect. The initial phase, is the relocation of the dock to the south side of the harbour and the erection of a small site office / cafe – an invitation for people to visit the dock and discuss potential future uses.

The dock’s disuse is symptomatic of Australia’s declining manufacturing industry and the struggle to compete with cheaper international labour markets. This fall has led to a significant loss of crafts and skills related to making that were once integral to Australian culture. Similarly, there has been a deterioration of Newcastle’s once thriving harbour culture as the water no longer operates as the heart of the city’s travel and trade networks. This proposal seeks to encourage Novocastrians to re-engage with their harbour and the act of making by providing a versatile cultural venue that can be continually shifted and adapted through negotiations with the community.

As a vessel, Muloobinba has a unique sense of place. Built in 1977 in Osaka, Japan, the dock may originally appear place-less, as is a ship, only bound by the limits of the oceans. Yet unlike ships, Muloobinba is sited inside a manmade bay specifically sculpted to take it’s form within the reclaimed land that supports the township of Carrington on the north western edge of the harbour. Therefore, it may also be understood as an extension of the land.

Finally, the construction of the project celebrates the industrial technology that is integral to Newcastle’s culture and sense of place. The initial intent to repurpose the the floating dock is extended into the detailed design with each phase constructed from salvaged industrial by-products and disused machinery. A technique of assemblage is adopted to create new elements that solve the programmatic and environmental issues of the project as each new phase is proposed. Some examples include the addition of short-term accommodation along  the northern wall (starboard), operable membrane roof along the mid-section, and a large wind-wall to the south east (stern).