News & Discussion: Chinatown

[Ben]

This looks great and will hopefully inspire further redevelopment in the precinct.

There is a fly through on the link

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/ ... ecdcf4aa8c

Mod edit: Cheeky back door link for those who are too cheap to pay Murdoch for his paywall. Click the first result:
http://bfy.tw/4Oew

Chinatown Food Hall revamp to bring new life to whole precinct
50 minutes ago
RICHARD EVANS The Advertiser

AN Adelaide commercial property mogul says a $2 million revamp of a food hall in the heart of the CBD could act as a catalyst for the regeneration of the entire surrounding precinct.

Irena Zhang hopes the winter refurbishment of her Chinatown Food Plaza on Moonta St will lead to a facelift for one of the city’s most iconic cultural sectors.

“It could be the start of a new Chinatown,” said the former president of Chinatown Adelaide, art gallery owner and current board member of the Adelaide Festival Centre Trust.

“We will rename the hall as Chinatown Plaza and it will be a mix of hospitality, retail and tourism. We want a lot more retail shops to come in, gift shops and fashion.”

Ms Zhang said the extensive refurbishment, due to start within two months, will see the dark 1200sqm space change beyond recognition with the creation of up to eight unique and contemporary dining/retail environments set to position it alongside dining and shopping experiences in Myer or David Jones.

The hall, the more westerly and smaller of Chinatown’s two food courts, currently has one large seating area with shops, all food, arranged around the perimeter.

This setup will completely change, according to Gerald Matthews of Matthews Architects, the firm behind the refit.

“The shops will be internalised,” he said. “The concept is intended to fill the gap between low-cost, fast-paced eating and higher-end restaurant dining.”

Mr Matthews said the two- to three-month construction period would bring something of modern China to the CBD, away from the more standard influence of imperial China.

“There will be some external changes, we want to have a level of identity. It’s got to be authentic, it has to be China speaking,” he said.

“What defines a modern city is a Chinatown — San Francisco, Melbourne and London all have them and they are all different.”

The desire to create a new experience has been in planning for a couple of years said Ms Zhang, who bought the food hall in 2001.

“I had been thinking about it for a while already. Competition (from other restaurants) coming in has been a part. I want to bring in mixed use,” she said.

“There could be a downtown Shanghai and an indoor garden. We have to change as a business and lead.”

Creating a vibrancy familiar to Asian markets in Melbourne and Sydney is fundamental to the success of the new venture said Ms Zhang, who will be looking to extend the opening hours from 11am to 4pm to about 10pm most nights.

Ms Zhang said repainting the walkways between the overhead carparks and generally tidying up the market is also imperative to moving forward.

The new hall will increase seating capacity to 340 chairs with pot plants, benches and alcove dining fresh introductions together with a new ceiling replete with hanging baskets and lanterns.

Inspire Real Estate will be leading the charge to bring in new retail and food tenants.

[Waewick]

Looks great.

I miss going to the MArkets on a regular basis but this kind of upgrade is certaintly a welcome addition I would have thought.

[thecityguy]

This is good news, however the out door china town strip is the part that really needs attention. There needs to be more restaurants spilling out into the strip and more greenery, kinda like the Sydney china town


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[monotonehell]

While this is most welcome as the place is well overdue a refit, there is no where near enough seating in that render.

[ghs]

$2 million just for an internal upgrade of a small food court.

Seems like an exaggerated Chinese price to me, surely it wouldn't cost that much.

I'd prefer to see an upgrade in the quality of the dodgy Asian food which is sold there
to be honest.

[ml69]

This is good news, however the out door china town strip is the part that really needs attention. There needs to be more restaurants spilling out into the strip and more greenery, kinda like the Sydney china town


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Totally agree ... the ACC and State Govt talk about upgrading the CBD laneways, Moonta St is a disgrace with its cracked and uneven paving surface.

It needs paving, lighting and greenery upgrade. Maybe give the lighting an Asian feel with the use of lanterns .... I dunno. And yes, perfect laneway for outdoor dining.

[Wayno]

While this is most welcome as the place is well overdue a refit, there is no where near enough seating in that render.

I don't wanna hear your excuses. There needs to be........at least.........3 times the number of seats.....

[Ben]

While this is most welcome as the place is well overdue a refit, there is no where near enough seating in that render.

if you get a chance watch the video. there is more seating then there is now, the renders don't do it justice.

[omada]

I recall Yarwood mentioning an extension of Chinatown at some stage?

[Allkai]

What defines a modern city is a Chinatown

Lol

[claybro]

please don't let them turn this into some kind of generic shopping mall style food venue. Im not a fan of the renders, not grungy enough. On my recent short stay in Adelaide, a companion from Perth commented that the highlight of Adelaide was hands down the central market precinct. "very Melbourne" were the words...as if that is something to aspire to? , but I get it. this area is the jewel of Adelaide...effortlessly grungy. Oh and the rooftop bar at 2KW was also a thumbs up (rooftops are all the rage in Perth now) except for the secret squirrel style entry via 2 lifts!

[Nathan]

please don't let them turn this into some kind of generic shopping mall style food venue. Im not a fan of the renders, not grungy enough. On my recent short stay in Adelaide, a companion from Perth commented that the highlight of Adelaide was hands down the central market precinct. "very Melbourne" were the words...as if that is something to aspire to? , but I get it. this area is the jewel of Adelaide...effortlessly grungy. Oh and the rooftop bar at 2KW was also a thumbs up (rooftops are all the rage in Perth now) except for the secret squirrel style entry via 2 lifts!

The food hall on the eastern side is the better of the two, both for food and for the right amount of grunginess.

[dbl96]

Very disappointing. They wan't to "fill the gap between low-cost, fast-paced eating and higher-end restaurant dining". Sorry, but that's what nearly every other restaurant in Chinatown is already doing. The good thing about this food court is that it is one of the only places in Adelaide still offering truly "low cost, fast paced eating". And ghs, that "dodgy asian food" is just about the only truly affordable, family-friendly meal you can still have in this city. Where else can you an all you can eat plate for $5 dollars?

Furthermore, a redevelopment of this food court will clearly sanitise it and take away any charm that it already had. As claybro has said, this will just become a generic shopping-centre type venue. Thecityguy and ml69, have you been to Moonta Street lately? I'm sure it could be improved, but it is definitely already one of the most vibrant precincts in the City, and already has greenery, lighting and alfresco dining. The pavers are pretty new too. Besides, most streets in Adelaide, including Grote Street do not even have proper footpath paving yet! So I'm not sure why you think Moonta Street needs so much attention.

Like the article suggests, this development will make Chinatown just like David Jones and Myer. It will loose all its charm, and all the things like affordability that attract people to eat there rather than at the more convenient food courts off Rundle Mall.

[Ho Really]

Don't tell me that if I want to visit Chinatown and get that Chinatown experience I will need to travel to China, etc. Don't sanitise it or it will lose its Chinatown appeal.

Cheers

[Goodsy]

Don't tell me that if I want to visit Chinatown and get that Chinatown experience I will need to travel to China, etc. Don't sanitise it or it will lose its Chinatown appeal.

Cheers

I always assumed Chinatown's around the world were more of a stereotypical version of what China looks like to the rest of the world, not an actual replica