SCREEN QUEENSLAND STUDIOS

2018 – Hemmant, Brisbane

The Screen Queensland Studios were part of the Queensland’s Government’s $12m investment into new film and television production studios to bolster the Queensland Film Industry’s capabilities. Working in collaboration with WSP (an international multi-disciplinary consultancy), the team at Architectural Collaborative provided architecture and graphic design services for the conversion of the existing warehouses and offices into a state-of-the-art facility capable of attracting international productions to the Queensland Region.

The project consisted of the refurbishment and change-of-use of the existing cotton warehouses to;

• Two soundstages of 3,000m2 each
• Two warehouses of 3,000m2 each
• A mixed-use building of 3,000m2

Sound stages required a very specific micro-climate to allow for the building of sets and the recording of productions. As light and noise was controlled artificially within the production itself, any external light and noise penetrating the building fabric must be removed to allow for consistent recording. In a new build this is simple as the external fabric can be designed from the inside-out to ensure the space is contained. Retro-fitting an existing building though was difficult, as the addition had to must work within the confines of the existing cladding and structural constraints of the existing facility.  Working collaboratively with our consultants, especially our acoustic engineers we were able to create a second skin that removed all light and sound penetration to the space. Sound-attenuating insulation was provided over most of the internal spaces to limit reverberation and specific paint colours were selected to absorb any reflecting light internal to the space.  Architectural Collaborative’s design upgraded the existing entryways to allow for disabled access throughout the facility.

Given the high rotation of tenants and users it was important to provide a detailed wayfinding approach to the entirety of the facility. Architectural Collaborative provided graphic design services to complete wayfinding & signage across the site. Building off Screen Queensland’s logo (the pixel) and their corporate colours, each building was given a unique identity using lettering and colour variations. Every building’s identifier is visible from the site entry point to aid navigation and wayfinding. As the sound stages are the priority use on the site, the identifiers were also included on the acoustic sliding doors.

The refurbishment of the warehouses has proved to be highly successful, with many international productions already utilising the facility. Recent productions included Hoodlum Entertainment’s Harrow TV series for ABC Studios International.

PROJECT TEAM

Adam Perring & Matt Roads