Chadstone Link
The Chadstone Link is a stylish pedestrian walkway that connects Melbourne’s Chadstone Shopping Centre with a nearby hotel and office tower.
Taking cues from the arched glass roof of the shopping centre, the ‘contemporary colonnade’ is a 110m-long, 15m-high vaulted passageway made from 155m³ of arched glue-laminated timber (GLT) beams with 1750m² translucent PTFE fabric canopy.
The highly durable combination of European larch timber and PTFE fabric ensures pedestrians are protected from the weather while minimising the need for maintenance and providing ample natural light. The beautiful whitewash timber finish protects the larch ensuring the timber will last for years to come..
Theca Timber’s partner, Rubner, manufactured a prototype in just four weeks after being awarded the contract and delivered the first timber on-site within 16 weeks. The use of arched GLT beams with factory-assembled connections ensured rapid progress, with the adjacent carpark being used as a staging zone for construction..
The sustainable European larch has an exceptionally low embodied carbon footprint, with 118.8t of CO2e stored directly in the wood – equivalent to burning 206 barrels of oil.
- Client: Hickory Group
- Architect: MAKE
- Completion: 2019
- Rubner Services: Design consultancy for optimization of materials, detailed design up to LOD400, Structural Engineering, Fabrication, Delivery to site
The arched GLT beams make a striking design statement.
The 110m-long walkway soars up to 15m high.
Featuring a white washed tinted sealer, the European larch will withstand the elements for years to come with no maintenance.
The ‘comtemporary colonnade’ takes is cues from the adjacent arched glass roof.
The entire prefabricated structure, and all the steel connections, came to site ready to assemble ensuring rapid progress.
Prototyped in just four weeks the design came together quickly.