Anita Noeng
Interested in imagined worlds and the role that technology can play in enhancing interior experiences, and inspired to create spaces that spark wonderment and creativity.
RECHARGE: Centre for Creative Learning
brief
The neglected site of the former White Bay Power Station holds years of industrial history and character that yearns for new life. My proposal for the redevelopment of the site integrates a sympathetic reuse of the historic site with a new modern character, through the establishment of a balanced development of mixed-use programs. 'RECHARGE' Centre for Creative Learning encompasses a dynamic and diverse range of programs that are anchored in technology and experimental learning. The major programs include a bioenergy power station & visitor's exhibit, contemporary & media arts hub, combined indigenous garden and community gardens, and an organic cafe. The Centre aims to inspire learning, creativity, and social interaction and inclusivity through this range of programs. This proposal strives for cultural, environmental, and social sustainability, each addressed through educational means.
project
'RECHARGE' Centre for Creative Learning has a core focus on creative and experimental thinking, technological exploration, and social inclusivity. These values are the main drivers for the designs of each key space, where each value is expressed through varying degrees and techniques. The overall design for the project is expressive of contemporary design and building processes, however the existing architectural characteristics of the site have been dealt with sympathetically, in order to maintain the site's significant historical qualities. The exterior of each building has been retained and renewed, whereas all interior applications and insertions are completely new. This distinction between the exterior and the interior intends to emphasise and express the new life given to the buildings.The design of each individual space within the new Centre intends to convey a different story that combines an expression of the distinct program, a part of the individual building's history, and the relationship between new and existing work. Innovation in technological expression is not only demonstrated through the architectural solution, but also the materiality of each space. The degree of dialogue between the old and the new is based on each individual program - where technology plays the largest role, the design is distinct from the existing, and accordingly, where human interaction occurs most, there is a greater connection to the existing envelope. Each interior offers a different tone and spatial experience for the visitor, and aims to express the dynamism and diversity of the programs offered at the Centre for Creative Learning.
