Location: Maitland, Australia.

Architect: CHROFI + McGregor Coxall.

The Maitland Riverlink project has been completed, providing a public space that will add value to the regional centre of Maitland. The project will help revitalise the central business precinct and extend it beyond the main street to the river. The space will act as a public living room for the community, reactivating an unused part of town and drawing locals back to the river, which is a fundamental part of Maitland’s heritage. The building is expressed as a sculptural gateway that frames views to and from the Hunter River and attracts people to pass through the space. The building also houses a café and restaurant as well as public amenities. The architecture has a strong civic presence in a street full of historic buildings and is a landmark when viewed from the river. The precise angles of the walls, ceiling and ground plane frame a public living room that offers a comfortable place to sit, a mobile library, high-quality public amenities and a café/restaurant, all of which can be transformed into an outdoor cinema or theatre for special events. The building unites Maitland’s two key assets for the first time – its architecturally rich High Street and the environmental amenity of the Hunter River – providing a greater experience for tourists and locals. The building is the work of award-winning architectural firm CHROFI and extends a legacy of place-making public architecture including New York City’s celebrated TKTS, Times Square, The Goods Line in Ultimo and the forthcoming Ian Potter National Conservatory in Canberra.