Archipelago’s urban renewal proposal for Fish Lane combined a master plan and public realm concept for Brisbane City Council.

Fish Lane runs parallel to Melbourne Street from Grey Street/Cultural Centre to Manning Street, South Brisbane. It is a small laneway fronted by a wide variety of buildings and uses, and many spaces of varying size. It is bisected along its length by more congested roads, effectively creating a laneway of four parts, each with its own qualities.

Following a site analysis and workshop process, a set of individual strategies were developed for the intimate natured lane. Drawing from a unifying concept entitled the ‘Laneway of Lost Things’, referencing the work of award winning Australian illustrator Shaun Tan, a set of detailed concepts were proposed.

Firstly, a program in which the street was typically activated and occupied as a narrow laneway; pedestrians supplanting cars with a chic cafe, cute button shop or the ‘best kept secret’ patisserie store in town.

Secondly, a concurrent variation was proposed in which the lane could then unfold onto itself, reprogramming the lane as a large urban event space; a market, a rock concert, a festival or an outdoor gallery.