We have sought to escape the existing architectural paradigms of the contemporary police station, characterised as they are by opacity, security and fenced compounds. Instead, an emphasis is placed upon the police station as a truly public community building: inviting, accessible and part of the civic fabric of the neighbourhood. However, the same strict technical and, in particular, security requirements must be achieved to create a safe working environment, all within the very tight cost constraints for this typology.
Our intention is to reinforce the Victoria Police’s vision of a more open and interactive approach to contemporary policing. The public elements of the station are composed within an overarching formal frame, addressing the street and lifting the scale of the building to the adjacent Masonic Hall while positioning the public meeting and control rooms in a tight composition and opening them to natural light from above. The perimeter of the main volume is a layered system of glass operable panels, a captured linear landscaped garden, and a wall of continuous metal louvre grilles which provide environmental mediation and security. The design seeks to establish a contemporary sense of place providing an open and inviting facility with strong connection to its setting.
