The new Westfield retail complex at Bondi Junction is a must-see, setting a new benchmark for retail design in Australia by extending the use of imagery to create tangible environments and heightening the retail experience for customers.

The complex is the largest shopping centre in the southern hemisphere, featuring over 300 speciality retailers in over 100 000sqm of retail space. One of the problems with opening a large complex is that many retailers were not ready to open at the launch date. The creative minds at Moon Design were in charge of developing the original concept and brand for the centre, and Juicy Design was enlisted to develop the hoarding treatments (the temporary boards that cover the unfinished shopfronts). Tom Williams, from Juicy Design, says Westfield wanted something that was visually attractive, but wouldn’t involve covering the total space of each shopfront.

“ Hoarding treatments are a problem for everyone. In this case there was a huge amount of space to be treated and it would have been far too expensive to cover every square metre,” says Tom.

The solution was a system of split batton boards, produced and printed using the new Vutek 150 printer onto Vutek self adhesive vinyl (SAV). This system was a huge success particularly because the boards were flexible and recyclable. If the shop leases changed, so too could the boards and signage, and if a shop opened, the boards could be moved to another location.

Tom has spent a lot of time around Westfield Bondi Junction through the various stages of development and opening and he is therefore well equipped to judge the new centre and its direction.

“They are doing what they should be doing and they’re doing it well. Overall it’s great, but particularly the Cafe Court upstairs is excellent and the high fashion based areas are really good,” he says.

Westfield Bondi Junction: Oxford St, Bondi Junction
www.westfield.com/au/centres/nsw/bondijunction

Juicy Design: Tom Williams, 02 9550 3558
tomw@juicydesign.com.au

Moon Design
www.moondesign.com.au

Flash Photobition: Fredrik Uden, 02 8594 3555
fredrik.uden@flash.com.au