A history of Knox City
Discovering the architectural history of Knox City shopping centre.
Many Melburnians would be familiar with Knox City Shopping Centre in Wantirna South. Now rivalling Chadstone Shopping Centre for floorspace, it is a massive ‘regional’ shopping centre that draws in millions of visitors a year. But there’s a little more to the history of this place than may meet the eye.
I have been familiar with Knox City (as it is often referred) since I was a small child. Growing up in the eastern suburbs of Melbourne, it was the local “major” shopping centre. Whenever we needed clothes or a piece of furniture or an appliance, we made the obligatory drive down Burwood Highway to Knox City. Hours could be spent there walking around and all I wanted as a child was a take-away lunch of some sort!
Shopping centres are dynamic spaces that seldom last a decade without some sort of major alteration or refurbishment. Therefore, a shopping centre can provide a perfect snapshot of Australian suburban life at any one time.
I recently took some photos of the interior of Knox City. As I was doing some research, I came across an article in Architecture Australia about the history of Knox City shopping centre. It turns out that it is a more significant building than I’d imagined.
Tenders for the design of Knox City shopping centre were sought by the AMP Society in 1973. The winning firm was McIntyre McIntyre & Partners who designed a centre comprising some 341,200 square metres of retail space. Their Brutalist-style vision was for a concrete-clad shopping centre complete with an underground carpark for 250 cars and accomodation for Myer, Target, McEwan’s and 83 specialty stores.
When Knox City opened in 1977 it was described as looking “steadfast and isolated as an airport terminal”, for the Wantirna of 1977 was still rural. But not for much longer as suburbia engulfed the shopping centre in the early 1980’s.
Much effort went into the design of the original Knox City by the architects and designers. The basic premise of the design philosophy was a continuity of appearance which was novel for a shopping centre in the 1970’s. They wanted to avoid the eclectic range of fixtures, fittings and designs that were commonplace in other shopping centres. The result was a uniformity of fittings, colour schemes and signage throughout the complex.
Some original features remain here, including the skylights and stairwell.
Whilst many of these features have long since been altered, small vestiges of original features remain and they were so impressive in their day that the Royal Australian Institute of Architects (RAIA) awarded architect Peter McIntyre the “Building Award Medal” for his design in 1978. The centre also won the IES Meritorious Lighting Award the same year. The Knox City of 1978 was something indeed!
The RAIA applauded the then novel use of trapezoidal skylights to provide natural light in the mall (these remain intact near Myer), the brightly coloured fixtures, the configuration of the shops between Myer and Target and the “reeded” concrete cladding on the exterior. The “reeded” concrete can still be seen on the oldest parts of the centre near Myer, but little else remains of the original centre after it was massively expanded and refurbished in 1990. Gone are the bright green zig-zag ceiling rafters, the bright blue balustrades, the multicoloured floor tiling and the uniform shopfronts. The giant tower on Burwood Highway – called a “dingus” by the architect for some obscure reason – remains intact but devoid of its fancy neon sign.
Something which was so novel and fresh and worthy of the RAIA’s attention in 1978 would date so badly as to necessitate a complete alteration a mere 13 years later.
The ‘new’ Knox City of 1990 was very fancy indeed. I remember its transformation slowly revealing itself between frequent visits. The path of the mall from Myer to Target was the same, but Myer was given a fourth floor and the centre was doubled in size with a new “market” on its furthest end. Of course, a larger centre just made the whole shopping experience even more painful as I entered my teen years, but it did look much nicer than the old one!
After another thirteen years – 13 must be the magic number – Knox City shopping centre was expanded again, this time in 2003. By then I’d left the area and was only an occasional visitor. The 2003 refurbishment was more limited in scope and many of the 1990 interiors remain intact.
I have recently been taking interior photographs of some of Melbourne’s bigger shopping centres, including Knox City. As I do so, I cannot help but remember how Knox City shopping centre, like the suburbs around it, has altered, expanded and changed with the times.
Like it or not, shopping centres have an important role to play in most of our lives. We meet friends there, we shop there, we dine there. They are the public squares of the 21st century.
It therefore follows that shopping centre architecture – whilst so varied – is designed to be as appealing to us as possible. Shopping centres such as Knox City provide a wonderful measure of a society’s aesthetic preferences and values at any one period of time. Looking back at old photographs of these spaces is fascinating, but reading the architect’s explanation of how the design was devised is of equal interest.
There have been many changes at Knox. Where once palms and seating occupied the centre of the malls, now kitch jewellery stalls and mobile phone shops take their place. As the water restrictions have come along, fountains have made way for other attractions. The Market is much fancier than it used to be and there’s now an attractive outdoor shopping area called Knox O-zone.
No doubt, Knox will continue to grow and flourish, having now celebrated its 30th anniversary.
On current form it will be due for another major refurbishment in 2016. Nevertheless, as many Melburnians enjoy its air-conditioned comfort and the wide selection of retailers, few would be aware of how this suburban shopping centre was once the delight of Victoria’s architectural community.
If you’d like to read more about the design of Knox, you can read a series of articles that appeared in the November 1978 edition of Architecture Australia.
Knox City Shopping Centre: A Review
Comments
13 responses to “A history of Knox City”
Thoroughly enjoyed reading this!
I grew up in Cheltenham but always visited Knox with my grandparents who were local!
I am now a Knox local myself and visit it weekly and I always think about the past! No one remembers the indoor water fountains ! I do fondly 🙂 Your top photo really made my memories come flooding back! Watching my nan get her granny perm at Ian’s hairdressing and then getting a choc mint ice cream 🙂
Would love to see more pics from the 70s and 80s 🙂
I’m a child of the late 80’s and vividly remember the water fountains! I also vaguely remember what the shopping centre was like before the renovations and Knox Ozone. I’d also love to see more pics from the 70/80/90s.
I really miss the old Knox City.
I remember as a kid in the early 2000s mum would always take me to Video Games Heaven to buy games for PC, GameBoy and Nintendo 64 for my brothers and I to play at home.
Good times.
To settle an argument. When Knox City opened in 1977, was the original twin cinemas located where MYER is?
I don’t believe so, no. Myer has always been where it is, but was originally just two stories high. The third story was added later.
Can anyone remember the Pink Cadillac at Knox city. It had a real pink caddy inside. Photos would be great
Omg. Yes!! I worked in a Cane store in the DISTRICT CENTRE… NOW OZONE.
Then in Major Video where Time Zone now is. The Pink Cadillac was right opposite. Had many fun times there!!
Great read. Well done and much appreciated. Does anyone have any photos of the first (1977-1990) or second (1990-2003 – above the current JB HI FI) cinemas ? Chris – I remember those cinemas being further down the complex – second level I think. Close to where the centre management is now days.
Thanks also to all those who put comments. I had almost forgotten about the indoor water fountains. That was part of the 90s build if I recall. And the Pink Cadillac – I can just remember that. Would also love to see a picture.
Cheers
I’ve only been a local a while, and I’m very keen to know what was situated at the back of Myer? Round the back of the center there is the car park with an entrance (currently blacked out windows) with chairs staircase and ramp but nothing is there. Intrigued at what it could possibly have been?
Hello my name is Patrick Lamanna and my family owned Lamannas Fruitland from the early 80s.to about 94. I spent a great deal of my childhood there and have such fond memories, the sad fact is we have hardly any pics of the fruitshop. Just a try to see if any one would have any of the traders even if the shop is in the background. Much appreciated.
Hey Patrick, you could try contacting the Knox historical society. Apparently they have a lot of photos from Knox City during its lifetime. I’ve been meaning to get there myself to have a look as Knox was a huge part of my childhood.
I remember Knox City well, worked for Target Supermarket in the 70s hated the place.
I remember it been built, it was all blackberry thickets before, I remember a story that there was a collapse of scaffolding during the concrete pour for the undercover carpark?
First fulltime job (7yrs) worked for the centre as maintenance person and gardener, loved the place meet so many important people who structured the rest of my life, thanks for the memories. PS the staff Christmas parties were the best lol