UNSTABLE SPACE

DESIGN CONCEPT

NEO is a temporary performance space/nightclub design concept developed for an under-utilised carpark within Canberra civic center.

The interior comprised a series of small intimate spaces that serve as frames around the main venue area; creating areas of both intimacy and spectacle within the overall design. The entrance is an eight-meter tunnel, providing a liminal transition between the well-lit street entrance and the subdued interior atmosphere of the nightclub. The gaze is drawn to the elevated catwalk that now surrounds the former parking station’s up-ramp. The existing traffic arrows along the main driveway direct the visitor around the venue, past the various side rooms including the bar, performance space and merchandise store. These spaces were designed to be seen by the visitor from the street outside, acting as an enticer for the venue.

Overall the aesthetic is one of  industrial urbanism, evoking an urban grittiness that we immediately associate with the places our parents never wanted us to be. Adding to the grittiness, fluted cardboard panels were used on the facade and the interior walls with the furniture a combination of 3d Printed recyclable PET with elements of the fluted component.

The strategic placement of lighting adds to the moody atmosphere, creating a nightclub type effect to help evoke the sense of industrial urbanism edginess. All materials used will be re purposed and recycled at the end of the installation.