Seniors Housing & Healthcare Trends

LOS ANGELES: An integrated arts village will be the core of a new intergenerational community on a regeneration site.

The first step to transform an old paint factory in Brisbane’s southern suburbs into a fully integrated arts village has been taken which the developer promises will create an Australian-first precinct.

A Change of Use application has been submitted to the Brisbane City Council for the old Taubmans paint factory at 115 Hyde Rd, Yeronga, to create an integrated, mixed-use development.

If the change from industrial to mixed-use zoning is successful it would shape the concept of ‘live, work and visit’ into what The Paint Factory Development director Paul Hey said is an Australian-first precinct catering to those who work in the creative industries and those keen to make a home in an arts-focused community.

The factory has been closed since 2015 and became a temporary home for local and international artists seeking much-needed space.

On a 3.43ha site with 8000sq m in building space, the site as already evolved into a hub of creativity called, The Paint Factory.

Mr Hey, a Yeronga resident of more than 23 years, said the village would firmly put Brisbane on the map as a vibrant and innovative destination that took its cues from creative and arts-focused precincts globally.

He said the local project team was excited to champion Brisbane as a creative hub.

“They brought an incredible amount of experience in town planning, urban design, landscape

architecture, place-making, community engagement and development to this project,” he said.

“We also spent considerable time consulting with the local arts community across all mediums, as well as our neighbours and the extended national and international arts scene, to ensure the project is perfect for this space.

“It was about hearing from them directly about what the site needs to be successful for years to come.”

Taking inspiration from the way iconic local and international projects such as the Brisbane

Powerhouse, Carriageworks in Sydney, the Abbotsford Convent in Melbourne, Alte-Spinnerei in Germany and Kanaal in Belgium have reimagined redundant sites, The Paint Factory steps that vision forward by incorporating a residential component.

The design encompasses architecturally designed residences and communal zones alongside green spaces, street art and outdoor performance spaces.

This will allow artists, art galleries, event spaces and facilities for visual artists and other creative professionals to live and work alongside artists-in-residence and retail tenancies.

Mr Hey said input for the project also came from an array of leading Australian artists who already called the site home, including Richard Bell, Judy Watson, Vernon Ah Kee, Ryan Presley and Gordon Hookey.

Their creative spaces at The Paint Factory have already taken its scope international.

“During the process of determining the best plans for The Paint Factory, we’ve already had some incredible works created and produced on site,” Mt Hey said.

“These have been viewed and celebrated globally at events and destinations including the 59th Venice Biennale, Tate Modern in the UK, the Art Institute of Chicago in the US, the National Gallery of Victoria, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia in Sydney and the Asia Pacific Triennial.

“The Paint Factory has also been the setting for Netflix shows and was selected as a filming location for the adaptation of Boy Swallows Universe by Brisbane writer Trent Dalton. It has also been featured in music videos for artists including Cub Sport, Make Them Suffer, Jesswar, WAAX, Hope D, Creed Tha Kid, Nerve and many more.”