- 2026 Prize
- From Commercial Architecture
The Corner Store
Project Description
Originally constructed in 1869 as a Public House, known as The Moore Park Hotel, it was converted in 1921 to a fruit and vegetable shop with upper level accommodation and in the 1960s to a corner grocery store, which it remained until 2022.
The brief was to convert the 3 storey building to a single 3 bedroom house. Located in a Heritage Conservation Area, the local Council wanted all new work to be clearly differentiated from the original structure.
The original brick facade had broken away from the internal cross walls and was leaning up to 300mm out into the street and required urgent stabilisation by way of a carefully inserted steel portal frame structure, prior to any internal demolition. The later additions from the 1960s and 70s were removed from the rear of the building, all aluminium windows removed and a surviving original timber double hung window and pair of shutters were retained as templates for all original window replacements. Aluminium shopfronts were removed and replaced with new timber framed interpretations of the original.
A new 3 storey, steel framed, rear wing has been constructed, clad in translucent glass blocks. This new rear wing abuts the original facade but is set back slightly to clearly articulate new from old. In order to allow natural light and ventilation to the lower level living areas an internal courtyard has been cut through the original section of the building, with a new steel and timber stair rising alongside the courtyard to the upper level bedroom and a large roof terrace set behind the original parapet.
New Oak flooring is used throughout the upper levels, with terrazzo tiles for the lower level living areas, terraces and bathrooms. Oak veneer is used for the kitchen joinery and the bathrooms are lined in colour back glass.
The house in not air conditioned and relies on natural cross ventilation and ceiling fans, sun shading to all windows and doors, heavily insulated roof and walls, solar panels, electric heat pump hot water, LED lighting, all electric appliances and electric heat pump hydronic underfloor heating and radiators.
Ian Moore is the principal of Ian Moore Architects, a practice established in 1990. The practice has won numerous national and international awards and has been exhibited in Australia and around the world, including Athens, Bangkok, Barcelona, Berlin, Buenos Aires, Dublin, Glasgow, London, Munich, Singapore, Tokyo and Vicenza. The work of the practice has also been included in the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2008 and 2012.
Initially studying civil and structural engineering at the Auckland Technical Institute in New Zealand, Ian then studied architecture at the University of Technology, Sydney, graduating with honours in 1988. He received a Master of Architecture degree from RMIT University, Melbourne in 2000.
Ian has taught at the University of Sydney, the University of Technology, Sydney, the University of New South Wales and the Sydney Institute of Technology. Ian has been a speaker and guest lecturer throughout Australia as well as New Zealand, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, Germany and the United Kingdom. Ian has also been a member of awards juries in Australia, New Zealand and at the World Festival of Interiors in 2013 and the World Architecture Festival in 2015. In 2003, Ian was the inaugural Creative Director of the Australian Institute of Architects annual conference.
