68 – 70 Wyatt Street is the culmination and conclusion of the research that occurred while I was doing my thesis, Patterns of LGBTQI Space, and was designed for exploring the identified patterns as well as create a speculative proposition for a new type of building and a series of new queer spaces in the city of Adelaide.

​

The scheme focuses on having a varied selection of programs to enable both day and night-time activities between entertainment offerings and several floors of leasable office space. Further to this, the external design of the building aims to create a queer dialogue within the city skyline. The lower floors are clad in a heavy brick which acknowledges the surrounding context but creates a top-heavy pediment for rest of the building. Above sits the façade that wraps around the offices, a hot pink cassette panel punctured with deep-set windows with a tinted glazing so that when looking out upon the city, it creates a pinkish hue. Further up polycarbonate panels are used to surround the nightclub floor which enables it to act as a lantern late at night. This is further emphasised by the large arched digital screen which allows for queer digital artists to exhibit work at a billboard type level or allow the many venues to advertise for upcoming events and parties. Arches are a recurring design element in the façade, and this was to reference the arched colonnades of the cloisters of the grand cathedrals where they were used to separate the monks form the outside world. Here, they protect the LGBTQI community from those who may hold prejudice and allow for the creation of safe queer space inside. To prevent the southern façade from being too harsh, its painted in the style of dazzle camouflage to create an urban scale art piece that plays with the surface of the wall.

​

Returning to the buildings programming, in its basement is a live music venue which can enable bands of various sizes to perform. The space for the crowd to gather is ramped to allow those at the back a view to the stage as well. It also is flexible enough to be used for large parties that want to capitalise on it being an underground space. At the ground level is a bar/restaurant that acts as a gathering point for the community. During the day, a hole-in-the-wall coffee spot can be run to serve the businesspeople rushing past between meetings while in the later afternoon, the beer garden can come to life with its stepped platform that creates varied moments for friends to relax with a drink. The space also offers itself for drag performances, bingo nights, and live screenings of shows and movies. The next floor above offers spaces which can be hired out for events, presentations, and casual lectures. Above this is a gallery space which lends itself to exhibiting the work of queer artists as well as having a small studio space for an artist’s residency program to run, creating work that would be eventually exhibited. As mentioned previously, the leasable offices then sit above this space in the middle of the building. They are designed to be as flexible as possible to cater different business that might want to operate within. On every floor of the building, all-gender bathrooms provide users with the fantastical experience of entering a baroque chapel dedicated to disco balls. The ceiling features a large mirrored dome where daylight entry is simulated from the cupola. The freeform sink made from stainless steel allows people to come together in an almost ritualistic manner of washing hands and is complimented by the curved wall behind, also mirrored.

​

Completing the set of entertainment offerings within the buildings, the top floors consist of a recording studio, nightclub and rooftop bar. The recording studio boasts several individual studios that can be used for music production which enables a synergy to then play the recorded music at one of the buildings venues. The goal for the nightclub was to emphasise the sections of the polycarbonate lantern that are be pulled back to reveal the city at night. The space is split in two so that their can be a seating area for those who need a short break and a large dance floor. The colour pink accentuates with a soft leather padding on the seats and around columns while pink curtains are used to close off the VIP booths along the dance floor. Inside, they act like little burrows and the floors, walls, and curved ceiling are covered in a black carpet to help soften the sound inside, emphasising the booths private nature. Influenced by the massive LGBTQI parties in Palm Springs, the rooftop bar is split between a bar and pool area. Along the sides of the pool are areas to sit and relax, with one side being broken up into small cabanas for groups of friends to sit together. Countering the hard surfaces around the pool, the bar utilises soft grass underfoot to create a sort of secret garden effect, hidden amongst the rooftops of the city. Two large palm trees are grown in this area which along with a series of pink shade parasols over the pool seating, create a sense of interest from the street and ultimately create a one-of-a-kind rooftop space.