16 April 2013

A mighty rigid structure appears in the Canberra Centre. Pour Quoi?

| johnboy
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steel frame

The food court atrium in the Canberra Centre has developed a large steel frame for what seems to be some sort of internal roofing.

Anyone want to suggest what could be the cause?

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HiddenDragon said :

I still have my money (centimes) on something that could end up like this:

http://www.retronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/415.jpg

The Railway Museum is moving to the floor above Food Court? It might just work.

HiddenDragon10:55 am 17 Apr 13

I still have my money (centimes) on something that could end up like this:

http://www.retronaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/415.jpg

PantsMan said :

There is a pasta place there that is surely a Mafia front. I’ve never seen anyone purchase anything from it.

I have, it’s actually quite tasty and you get quite a large serving for your dollar.

Erg0 said :

There appear to be doings afoot in David Jones, and the Priceline and $2 shop adjacent to the food court moved out a few weeks ago. I’ve been theorising that part of the basement is being converted into more floorspace for the department stores – this may or may not support my theory.

hahaha, “doings afoot”….gold 😛

in response, i have been watching this too and wondering wtf it could be for…my guess was an internal roof so people dont jump down there or spit on/throw things at people eating in the food court. i know it wouldnt seem logical to jump down there but maybe it reduces an insurance premium ;)p

Temporary roofing to prevent tradies groupies from hanging over the railing wolf-whistling.

There is a pasta place there that is surely a Mafia front. I’ve never seen anyone purchase anything from it.

HiddenDragon10:56 pm 16 Apr 13

It’s actually a Toot!Toot! story – a Canberra Centre station for the VFT, so all those jaded Sydney and Melbourne shoppers can have easy access to the shopping delights of Canberra.

Sure hope this isn’t permanent, it’s certainly not on first impressions load bearing. Held in with modest size bolts into the existing columns.

Down stairs certainly is due for a renovation. It’s over a decade old now.

ToastFliesRED5:04 pm 16 Apr 13

“Aliens”
Otherwise why would they put this alleged new floor/roof at a level higher than the existing floor level of the arcade which leads out to City Walk?
Woooooo Spooky

If it’s to be a permanent structure, rather than just a temporary arrangement while the construction is underway, then it is very weird and will only make worse the ‘dungeon’ vibe down there that others have already alluded to.

Johnboy, perhaps it’s time for a call in to Canberra Centre management (as the representative of a local news website!) so you can solve this riddle for us all?

Is it just a way they can temporarily close off the dungeon food court while they strip it out and redo it?

Seeing some of the crap that passes for ‘art’ in this city, I wouldn’t be surprised that it’s another ‘work of genius’.

Your views of a ‘mighty rigid structure’ are somewhat different from mine. That looks like a few girders laid higgledly piggledy over other girders. It’s hardly the Eiffel Tower, is it?

They’re renovating the food court. If you go to the bottom floor of Myer where the entrance to the food court was (which is now blocked) you can see a picture of the plans.

Rollersk8r said :

Doubt it’s additional floor space because it’s not flat; the middle section is higher. But I am interested to know what the plan is – Google and the Centre Centre website reveal nothing.

Seems strange to roof the food court when the whole problem was the “underground food cave” vibe. Why close it in more?

And how come every single business closed – but Maccas is allowed to stay open?? Ok, Priceline relocated in world record time – but what happens to all the other employees and businesses that shut down? They’re all on an 8 month holiday?

Must be major work – the sign says it will be finished late 2013.

The Tea Centre and Flight Centre have also been relocated within the centre, though from my reading it was very sudden. Not sure what is happening with the food retailers. Often shopping centres will time lease expirations, so that may have been done in this case. Hope they offer at least some of the stores a lease after the renos.

Erg0 said :

There appear to be doings afoot in David Jones, and the Priceline and $2 shop adjacent to the food court moved out a few weeks ago. I’ve been theorising that part of the basement is being converted into more floorspace for the department stores – this may or may not support my theory.

ISWYDT.

Doubt it’s additional floor space because it’s not flat; the middle section is higher. But I am interested to know what the plan is – Google and the Centre Centre website reveal nothing.

Seems strange to roof the food court when the whole problem was the “underground food cave” vibe. Why close it in more?

And how come every single business closed – but Maccas is allowed to stay open?? Ok, Priceline relocated in world record time – but what happens to all the other employees and businesses that shut down? They’re all on an 8 month holiday?

Must be major work – the sign says it will be finished late 2013.

The whole food court is being gutted and re-modeled. It is supposed to more individual restaurant type things rather than just food kiosks.

Looks like some sort of internal roofing.

There appear to be doings afoot in David Jones, and the Priceline and $2 shop adjacent to the food court moved out a few weeks ago. I’ve been theorising that part of the basement is being converted into more floorspace for the department stores – this may or may not support my theory.

By no means certain, but that reminds me of what it looked like at the Belconnen mall when they started to “reclaim” additional floor space.

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