The laneways of Melbourne have long been an urbanists and retailers dream; vibrant, dense and responsive to change. High demand and excessive rents make good bed fellows with opportunity for people willing to take a risk and this proposal for the fashion store Alter, in the dark, narrow often urine soaked alleys behind the laneways is no exception.

The adjacent walls provide the structure from which the church roof shaped building hangs. Graffiti work by local street artists Dscreet and Linz line the walls….. Everything is stored in the roof – with garments, point of sale, and fitting rooms hanging from above. Even a giant rug made from smaller Turkish rugs is rolled out from the roof in a sweeping gesture. With this flexibility comes opportunity - the number of items hanging can change from ordinary day use, to an opening night or with everything cleared away except for a bar for the anticipated regular party nights.

The greatest problem with the site became its greatest opportunity -the alley is only 20m from the Laneway below yet not visible from the street. A giant curtain is hung from the front of the building frame and billows into the alleyway, attracting the attention of people in the laneway below. Low-impact wind turbines fill the curtain in a more controlled fashion creating a surface for projections.

In collaboration with Sarah Rowlands Interior Architecture