A new civic precinct has been formed by linking the Heritage-listed Boot Factory to the Mill Hill Centre, with upgrades to Norman Lee Place and a covered terrace on the top floor allowing the functions within both buildings to engage with the Bondi Junction context.
The Boot Factory has been adaptively reused to create a Community and Innovation Hub. While it seems counterintuitive to place a hub for innovation within a Heritage building, the scheme prioritises the creation of a series of flexible rooms, enhancing the qualities of the original building with natural light and ventilation. Rather than introduce soon-to-be redundant technologies, the design references the architecture of the Enlightenment to connect to the natural environment with a long-term view.
We are thrilled to have seen how the precinct has been embraced by community, with a wide array of council programs demonstrating the flexible programming potential of these new spaces.
