Mark Phillips
Thursday, March 6, 2025
BRUNSWICK’S new $30 million arts and community precinct is open for business.
Temporary fencing was removed from around Balam Balam Place on the corner of Phoenix and Saxon streets in the last week of February opening it to the public, and the space is now actively seeking tenants.
“The fence came down at 6am on Wednesday [February 25], and I think it was by 7.30 that the first people were walking through,” said Joseph Norster, whose company These Are The Projects We Do Together will manage the site.
The redevelopment of the site has taken more than 18 months and was delivered at twice the original budget, but the final results are stunning.
With a budget of about $30 million, Balam Balam Place is one of the largest single capital investments ever undertaken by Merri-bek Council.
“It’s been worth every penny,” Norster said.
The council bought the land, adjacent to the Brunswick Baths, in 2010 for about $7 million after the closure of Trinity Catholic Regional College and for several years it was known as both 33 Saxon Street and Siteworks.
The project has delivered 3500 square metres of floor space for arts and community activities, divided into three main zones: The Steps, The House and South.
The highlight is South – a new five level building on the south-eastern corner of the site that will house a cafe, creative tenancies, a maternal and child health centre, and the Blak Dot Gallery and Blakademy. The new building also has numerous spaces for hire for events, seminars, workshops, rehearsals and other uses.
The centrepiece of the area is the original 1888 mansion of industrial pioneer Joseph Cornwell, which during the 20th century was owned by the Catholic Church as the St Ambrose Presbytery and later part of Trinity College.
The two storey mansion has been refurbished inside and out and will also be available for hire.
The shell of one of the school buildings has been retained as a dramatic entrance into the precinct from Phoenix Street with a columned walkway leading through to the open space in front of the mansion. Called The Steps, this will provide much-needed shade in summer and will also be an open air performance space.
Renowned Kamilaroi artist Reko Rennie – fresh from designing the new match shirts for the Socceroos and Matildas and recently the subject of a retrospective exhibition at the National Gallery of Victoria – has been commissioned to design a huge mural that has been painted on the eastern wall of The Steps, facing towards Sydney Road.
Middle: The original 1880s house has been retained in the centre of the site.
Above: Looking through the Steps towards the House.
The entire site is surrounded by 2500 square metres of open space, including native gardens which incorporate existing trees and offers plenty of luscious grass for nearby workers or visitors to the Brunswick library and baths to relax upon.
Balam Balam Place opened for business on Monday, March 3.
Merri-bek Mayor Helen Davidson said it would provide the community with inclusive, affordable, and flexible spaces for a range of cultural and creative activities.
“It is the culmination of many years of planning, community consultation and anticipation,” she said.
“We are very much looking forward to creativity and cultural diversity flourishing.”
The site’s name is derived from the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung word for butterfly, which was the most popular choice in a public vote last year.
The precinct is managed by These Are The Projects We Do Together, who also managed Siteworks at the same location before the redevelopment.
Norster, who runs These Are The Projects We Do Together with his partner Millie Cattlin, said Balam Balam Place would be available to community organisations and arts workers of all shapes and sizes and a key to this was to make the spaces as affordable as possible.
The spaces available for hire in the South building come in a range of different sizes and configurations and are deliberately designed for multiple uses.
The largest of the hire spaces on the ground floor includes a commercial kitchen.
Norster said it was likely people would come from all over Melbourne to hire space at Balam Balam Place once word got out.
“Our fundamental job description is providing access to spaces,” he said.
“Fundamentally, it’s opening the door. We would rather rooms be used from dawn to dusk every day of the week and make it affordable rather than so expensive they are never used.”
South is anchored by Blak Dot Gallery on its ground floor and the maternal and child health centre, which will relocate from Glenlyon Road, on its first floor.
Permanent tenants in the upper levels of the building will provide regular income that will subsidise the public spaces to ensure they are affordable. These will range from shared co-worker spaces for several dozen people to full offices that could accommodate up to 15 staff.
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Left: Looking down on the reception area of the South building.
Right: A sign inside the South building.
Top: Looking down on the reception area of the South building.
Above: A sign inside the South building.
Joseph Norster and Millie Cattlin from These Are The Projects We Do Together.
Joseph Norster and Millie Cattlin from These Are The Projects We Do Together.
Norster said there had been more than 100 expressions of interest in becoming tenants, but those who are successful would need to have the right fit with the precinct’s culture.
“We’re being very thoughtful in that we want to run a rigorous process so people see the space and understand the culture of the place and contribute to becoming part of that,” he said.
“We want to give as much time for people to see the space and hold off until April before we start confirming tenancies.
“It’s not just handing them the key like in most commercial tenancies. When you become a tenant here, you will become part of the community.
“We will very thoughtfully curate the spaces and the tenants because we’re interested in culture and place … Because we’re within the Brunswick Design District, we’re looking at contemporary design, things like architecture, graphic design, desk based designers, web designers. You could expand that out to arts organisations that support practitioners.”
Tenants will have 24-hour access to the building and benefit from high-speed internet, canteen style kitchen facilities, and access to larger meeting spaces.
An open day will be held for members of the public to explore Balam Balam Place on Saturday, April 5.
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