Karrinyup Shopping Centre

Awards: WA AILA Civic Landscape Architecture Award 2022

Client: AMPC and Multiplex

Location: Whadjuk Country, Karrinyup, WA

Team: See Design Studio, TRCB, Hames Sharley, Pritchard Francis, Electrolight

Year: 2021

Photography: David Deves

The design features different character zones which perform a range of functions. A shady central lawn doubles as an event space. The water feature encompasses the open lawn, creating micro climates and defining active and passive use spaces.

A new laneway lined with wisteria connects the plaza to an adventure and water playground with integrated natural elements. The laneway creates a vibrant pedestrian zone with patrons lining up outside the restaurants and bars that open up onto it.

In the heart of the Karrinyup Shopping Centre redevelopment, See Design Studio have designed a dynamic and verdant new plaza. The space is defined by an extensive water feature which weaves through the site, changing as it goes. It creates a sensory experience for visitors to the site, encouraging tactile interactions and inviting people to pause.

The design plays on the Australian suburban backyard with garden elements such as the Hills Hoist and the garden hose abstracted to create the structure of the public realm. Plant species and materials have been chosen to reference a residential garden with a coastal feel.

Busy food and beverage tenancies front onto the public realm on all sides. with seating spilling into the plaza. At night the site lights up inviting users to linger.

The site sits on structure above an underground carpark. Careful planning and the planting of a number of mature deciduous trees has created instant shade and a sense that the space is grounded.

An intricate stone paving pattern that plays with a range of format sizes, helps to guides the flow of pedestrians and define spaces. A series of wayfinding signage designed by See Design Studio integrated seamlessly with the plaza’s aesthetic.