Francis Street Laneway Revitalisation

Francis Street was one of many underutilised corridors within the Adelaide CBD. Swanbury Penglase were engaged to liaise with local businesses to stimulate and ignite activity into the laneway.

The design was informed by the raw, urban, energy of the surrounding area, using a combination of paving materials; including reclaimed brick and rusted metal components.

Key features include planted screens in garden beds that create curiosity from the Rundle Mall end. The paving takes its design format from the shopping ‘bar code’ and distracts the eye from following the visual length of the lane. Towering yellow, sculptural ‘totems’ lead pedestrians along the length of the laneway, inspired by the staggered building tops of Adelaide’s high rises. A café spills out onto the paving from a nook in the lane, enhancing the energy and liveliness of the lane. Frances Street is a fun and creative addition to Adelaide’s growing urban laneway culture.