John McAslan + Partners (JMP) is this month celebrating the fifth birthday of its Sydney studio, with the practice keen on continuing to update and transform Australia’s built environment.
JMP first made its way to the harbour city in April 2018, when it was commissioned to assist in the design of the new Central Metro station (pictured below). The station is now nearing completion, with the practice also leading the design for the future Waterloo Metro station, currently under construction.
Sydney native Troy Uleman (pictured top) has led the practice’s regional outpost since its opening. He is extremely excited for what is to come for the team.
"JMP is a boutique practice that operates nimbly as one studio across four locations around the world," he says.
"We're committed to building our Australian portfolio, drawing on our strength in adaptive reuse and the clever use of existing structures."
According to Uleman, practice founder John McAslan and his Scottish roots are deeply embedded within practice culture.
"The Scots hate waste, and that's deeply embedded in the way we design, regardless of scale,” he laughs.
“The JMP portfolio showcases four decades of working creatively to give older buildings new life and enhance their efficiency and functionality."
London’s Kings Cross Station, designed by JMP, has set a precedent for other train stations around the world designed by the outfit. Finding balance between heritage and contemporary, both Kings Cross and Central’s Northern Concourse mediate between new and existing, with the new Concourse in Sydney sitting seamlessly alongside the station's sandstone palette.
Uleman believes Australia’s cultural institutions should be looking to utilise the architectural expertise of built environment professionals who can assist in maintaining and transforming ageing buildings.
"Our work with The Burrell Collection in Scotland is a case study in museum renewal that turned an ageing building into one of the UK's most energy-efficient, at the same time greatly increasing gallery space and visitation," he says, also referencing the recent renovation of the British Museum.
"JMP has turned a steam engine turntable structure into an auditorium and a power station into an operationally zero-carbon education facility. We're also working on the transformation of New York's Penn Station.
"I'm excited about what we can achieve locally in the next five years as an Australian team informed by a global perspective."
A monograph about the work of John McAslan + Partners titled 'Making Architecture' will be released by Thames and Hudson mid-year.
