ACMI
ACMI Renewal
A game-changing adaptive reuse of one of Melbourne’s most prominent cultural hubs, in the heart of Fed Square.
As Australia’s national museum of screen culture since 2002, ACMI celebrates the universe of film, TV, videogames and art with a vibrant calendar of exhibitions, screenings, festivals, events and more. In 2018, ACMI (Australian Centre for the Moving Image) appointed BKK Architects to principally design its new public spaces as part of a landmark $40 million renewal.
Extending over four floors of the Alfred Deakin Building in Melbourne’s heritage-listed Fed Square, ACMI’s multi-level layout and multiple entry points had long been the source of visitor confusion and disorientation. ACMI’s vision was to transform the existing complex layout into a more cohesive, visitor-friendly experience. This challenging and exciting project saw us gut and replace the ground and first floors of ACMI’s premises, making room for increased exhibition space, improved AV and IT infrastructure, as well as fresh multi-purpose and educational spaces to propel ACMI into its next phase of life.
At the heart of our design is a large timber staircase connecting ACMI’s first two floors. With the beloved ACMI shop transplanted from the depths of the building to a more prominent, Flinders Street-facing position, the new foyer layout recalls the classic Melburnian laneway (included, but not realised, in the original Fed Square design).
The Flinders Street Foyer and the Urban Lounge, with its bleacher-style seating, are a third place for ACMI staff and visitors.
Our Living Stair links ACMI’s levels physically and visually.
Big-picture Thinking
Our philosophy for the ACMI Renewal hinges on the idea of dissolving the boundaries of the traditional museum. Where a conventional gallery or museum space might clearly define a single path from entry to exit, ACMI encourages a diverse spectrum of participation and exploration for visitors of all kinds.
While interior architecture forms the basis of our contribution to this project, we couldn’t ignore ACMI’s greater context within Fed Square. By embracing increased spatial flexibility and connectivity, the renewed ACMI becomes a living, breathing expression of Fed Square’s original vision for public engagement. Whether it’s deep interactivity inside the exhibition spaces, strolling through the foyer or stopping to enjoy a coffee and free Wi-Fi, the revamped ACMI welcomes genuine public interaction with open arms.
The ACMI shop doubles as a function space after hours, with bespoke wheel-away joinery and a motorised blind to divide it from the foyer.
Collaboration and Humility
From weekly online catch-ups to face-to-face masterplanning, our regular touchpoints with a diverse stakeholder group ensured a seamless and integrated design process. We worked closely and collaboratively with exhibition designers from Publicis Sapient, lighting designers from Schuler Shook, several engineers and the ACMI curatorial team.
A series of major workshops informed our approach to the masterplan, giving voice to ACMI staff and volunteers from all sides of the organisation. This level of engagement allowed us to better understand how ACMI’s spaces are used at different times of day, ultimately leading to changes in program – such as the relocation of the ACMI shop, enabling its use after-hours as an extension of the main foyer for functions and events. We also relocated the black box Studio 1 away from its original spot (inside a main frontage), making room for a new event space visible from the street outside.
We also engaged the original Fed Square architect Donald Bates (LAB Architecture Studio, Bates Smart) to ensure we remained sensitive to the fundamentals of Fed Square’s design.
Playfulness and Innovation
The broader architecture of Fed Square embraces late deconstructivist-style geometrical forms. We wanted to honour and play off that language, guiding ACMI into the future through comparatively softer edges and more generous curves – without compromising the building’s relationship to its urban context.
Pink, yellow and orange interior accents recall Victorian landscapes, enhancing the warm tones of the original sandstone flooring and native timber staircase. Circular coffered ceilings reinterpret LAB’s angular scheme. And translucent perforated metals on the central staircase soften the building’s exterior visual language. The result is a more cohesive colour and material palette that’s both sensitive to its surroundings and bold in its assertion of a unique ACMI identity within Fed Square.
Leadership and Advocacy
As a museum of screen culture, ACMI celebrates moving images and changing technology over static objects and artefacts. With significant investment in its underlying technological infrastructure, ACMI is well placed to evolve and shift in line with the dynamic screen culture it honours. Our approach to the architecture ensures these key elements are tucked away yet always accessible and dynamic, allowing for continued innovation and transformation for decades to come.
Transformative Places, Holistic Benefits
The ACMI Renewal project has supported the institution’s key goals of increased visitation, deeper engagement, clearer wayfinding and cross-pollination between levels. A beloved institution since its inception in the early 2000s, the ACMI of the future embraces its standing as an inclusive cultural destination and public space for screen enthusiasts, school groups and curious passers-by alike.
Our big-picture approach and collaborative process have delivered two hero levels that truly embody the game-changing original intent for ACMI and the surrounding Fed Square. More than a museum, the renewed ACMI is a civic gesture and an important chapter in Melbourne’s ever-evolving cultural story.
Media Preservation Lab
Audience Lab
Yanmeeyarr by Gunditjmara artist Vicki Couzens is at the entrance to the main gallery.
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Publicis Sapient
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Awards
2021 AIA Victorian Architecture Award, Shortlisted, Melbourne Prize
2021 DrivenxDesign Melbourne Design Awards, Gold, Interior
2021 Good Design Awards Australia, Winner, Urban Design and Public Space
2021 Australian Interior Design Awards, Shortlisted, Public – Gallery & Exhibition Spaces
2021 Idea Awards, Shortlisted, Public Space