Affectionately known as ‘the Cakeshop’, this late 1930’s bakery is now a
thriving architectural practice. Discover how the building was refurbished
and be inspired by the atmosphere of this creative space.
When to go: 9 am to 3 pm
BVN’s Brisbane Studio grew from the recycling and
interior refurbishment of an existing commercial
warehouse along St Pauls Terrace. Affectionately
known by staff as ‘the Cakeshop’, the original building
was built in the late 1930s and housed a large
patisserie owned by well known Brisbane pastry cooks,
A & C.F McDonald.
Where to go: 365 St Pauls Terrace,
Fortitude Valley
Tours: Guided tours every half hour
Building type: Architectural practice
Built: Original date unknown, renovated in
1993 and 2007
The premises were purchased by BVN Architecture
in the early 1990s and were extensively renovated
at this time. With another makeover in 2007, the
building houses the national practice’s Queensland
studio. Fittingly, the historic roots of the building
mirror the practice’s roots in this state, which
began as Arthur Bligh Architect 85 years ago in
Toowoomba, Queensland.
Architects: Renovation architect: BVN
Architecture; Original architect unknown
Web: www.bvn.com.au
Awards: RAIA QLD Regional Commendation
© BVN Architecture
The building consists of one main level of about 750m2
entered from St Pauls Terrace. The roof consists of
a series of linear skylights running the entire length
of the building providing exceptional natural light into
the studio. The skylights are supplemented by a small
courtyard along one wall densely planted as a bamboo
grove with a central meeting deck reached by a bridge.
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In 2002 the neighbouring building facing Alfred Street
was also acquired and refurbished to provide more
accommodation. This building, called ‘The Shed’ was
originally the home of Lukey Mufflers in Brisbane. The
Shed is interconnected to the Cakeshop via a stair and
small link building. An elevated meeting room in the
Shed’s double height volume sits atop the amenity and
kitchen area.
The Studio is naturally open plan to promote
communication and idea sharing. All 90 staff work at
large benches arranged across the long dimension
of the space. The Studio has only one truly enclosed
room—a video conferencing room. Tea, meeting and
printing facilities are arranged linearly along the blank
site wall that does not have the skylight opportunity.
© State of Queensland // Katherine Hagenbach
In its former life as a bakery, key
sales of the business were elaborate
wedding cakes; an illustrated
catalogue of which was discovered
during the building’s refurbishment.
The original oven is preserved and converted into an
atmospheric meeting space complete with its large
cast iron toothed drive wheels and vertically lifting
oven door still in place. A glass floor reveals the full
extent of the cylindrical oven with the fire brick walls
and floor left intact.
Necessary modern services including air-conditioning
and lighting have been inserted in a modern manner
sensitive to the original industrial aesthetic. The
air conditioning system operates through a unique
underfloor return air plenum which returns air to the
basement plant rooms.
The design objectives in both refurbishments were to
exploit, reveal and complement the existing building
fabric through the careful positioning of solid and void
built elements, exposed timber beams, air conditioning
service ducts, light fittings and the manipulation of
colour in the early 90s refurbishment. The bright colour
was replaced by the removal of colour to a more
neutral schema in its contemporary revival.
© BVN Architecture
BVN Architecture Studio
© BVN Architecture
© State of Queensland // Katherine Hagenbach
VALLEY PRECINCT
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