AdaLane

Hutchies was engaged to deliver Ada Lane as a D&C alongside The Calile both in collaboration with architects Richards & Spence. The Lane was constructed to mirror the aesthetics of The Calile, which built form has been created using a minimal pallet of enduring materials including exposed concrete, brickwork, stone, steel and glass, with the in-situ and precast concrete elements playing the leading role. Ada Lane and The Calile's innovative design, which expresses Queensland's subtropical climate, utilises concrete to create the brutalist ceilings, stairwells and arches, as well as the floating awnings around the retail spaces which are held via a series of rostrums supported from the building façade.

Ada Lane project is an upmarket refurbishment to the existing James Street retail outlet. The new two-story design brings five chic food and beverage tenancies to James St including renowned restaurants sAme sAme and Beaux Rumble. The laneway accessible both by pedestrians and vehicles connects James and Wandoo Street, whilst also acting as a conduit for the high-class fashion design retailers that occupy the ground floor of The Calile.

The existing structure was modified to support the cantilevered exposed ashlar pattern concrete awnings and upstands with the remaining façade covered in white brickwork to create open spaces with a well-landscaped pallet to provide a Mediterranean feel. Footpaths and driveways were laid with porphyry pavements toppled with some exposed concrete giving a beautiful look to the street. Lined along the tenancies are large window openings comprising of timber bench seating and sliding doors which permit the spaces to open to the outdoors, giving off the sense of an open community. Integrated into the lane are various gardens, suspended planters and operable facades.

The design of Ada Lane and The Calile takes an elegant and luxurious spin on the old brutalist architecture movement, which for decades was a symbol of the underclass. Brutalist architecture is recognisable by the prominence of simple building materials, which emphasise solid unadorned and undecorated flat exteriors. The brutalist design takes advantage of the uprising of minimalism and the idea of 'less is more'. The concrete is used for its raw and unpretentious honesty, contrasting dramatically with the highly refined and ornament building. The buildings massive 'blocky' appearance has been constructed to give off a monolithic feel, appearing as if the building was carved from a single concrete block.