A 12-storey building inspired by industrial history proposed in Adelaide

Renewal SA has released initial plans for a new 12-storey mixed-use building in Bowden, Adelaide, with designs by ARM Architecture.

The development - proposed for Third Street - features 84 apartments, 94 percent of which will be affordable rentals and four of which will be warehouse lofts available for purchase. The building will accommodate a new public multideck car park with 221 parking spots, four commercial or retail tenancy spaces, an open air function area and a seventh floor garden terrace for residents of the building.

The multideck car park will be constructed on the lower levels of the 12-storey building. The car park's adaptable design allows for the potential ability to retrofit some parking levels into housing should future demand require. The car park has been designed to be a point of interest, with sections of the walls and an open roof deck to display art - in reference to Bowden's mural culture. The open-air upper level of the car park can be converted into a public activation space.

Philippe Naudin, principal at ARM Architecture, said, the building envelope was inspired by Bowden's history as an industrial area. "Our architecture translates aspects of this rich narrative through icons and recognisable motifs - house symbols, distinctive sawtooth roofs, repetitive truss patterns, even subtle nods to the iconic Clipsal fittings - creating a playful design language that's both contextual and distinctive, paying homage to past stories and familiar forms," Naudin said.

"We are looking forward to these stories being discovered, lived in and further enriched by the community that inhabits them.

"We hope our architecture will contribute to a true sense of pride of place, creating not just a place to live, but providing a place that residents can truly be proud to call home."

The proposal also includes the reconstruction of Field Lane to connect Third and Second streets and create a critical pedestrian route between Plant 3 and 4 and the Bowden Train Station.

Chief executive of Renewal SA Chris Menz said the building will help to alleviate housing supply issues and provide a much-needed parking solution for the Bowden community.

Early works and site preparation will commence in 2024, with the first residents anticipated to move in at the beginning of 2026.