DENTON CORKER MARSHALL___ ARCHITECTS
Fifty years is a significant milestone in any business, particularly a creative one such as Denton Corker Marshall (DCM). But 50 years ago, when the three founding directors, architects John Denton, Barrie Marshall and Bill Corker, set up practice in Denton’s living room, they had no idea that they would establish one of Australia’s most successful practices – with 80 staff in its Melbourne office, 50 in Jakarta, 20 in London and 16 in Manchester.
From creating landmark buildings in Melbourne Australia, including the Melbourne Museum, the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre and the Gateway, the bright red angular blade columns at the city’s entrance to 45,000 apartments in China for the one client, DCM has certainly something to celebrate. Other landmark projects include Stonehenge, a visitor education centre outside London (circa 2015) and the Civil Justice Centre in Manchester (circa 2007).
Not afraid to be brave, DCM’s heroic architecture often goes beyond boundaries – including the glass-bottomed lap pool at the top of the Adelphi Hotel in Melbourne’s Flinders Lane, which must have initially unsettled those walking along the pavement below. Some projects, such as the Manchester Civic Justice Centre, the result of a worldwide design competition, was awarded by the Royal Institute of British Architects in 2009 in both the sustainable and institutional categories – an extraordinary achievement from a practice which was pitching against some of the most eminent practices in the world, including Sir Richard Rogers. “From a sustainability perspective, we were able to get natural light into all 55 courtrooms as well as not relying on heating and cooling for a substantial part of the year,” says Denton, the practice’s founding director.
While DCM’s portfolio of built work is staggering, including 80 hotels in Indonesia alone, it has also made its mark on cities such as London, with the Sanderson Hotel in Fitzrovia – a collaboration with Philippe Starck who was responsible for the hotel’s interiors. “Having an office in some of the cities we work in certainly helps, rather than simply getting on the phone from Melbourne,” says architect Wojciech Pluta, a senior director with DCM, who started with the practice 25 years ago. Other directors, such as Greg Gong, Adrian FitzGerald, Neil Bourne and Sonja Syre have been with DCM for years, even decades. “I think this makes our transition plan that much easier, with great people we have worked with over the years,” says Denton.
For Denton and his senior staff, there are numerous highlights to reflect on over the last five decades. “One of the many highlights has been seeing the First Day stamp released in 1980 showing the Queen visiting our new city square,” says Denton, who also recalls the endless discussions on the Vault (better known as ‘Yellow Peril’) the vibrant yellow sculpture created by Ron Robertson-Swann – eventually relegated to Southbank where it received even greater attention. Other milestones have been DCM’s black pavilion at the Venice Biennale where thousands of visitors came closer to experiencing DCM’s distinctive ‘signature’.
“How materials are put together has always been something that the practice has been recognised for – glass, steel and often the bright yellow aluminium that’s become a hallmark of many of our projects,” says Denton who with his colleagues, enjoy exposing structure and the manner in which materials come together. Its award-winning fit-out on the 19th level of 55 Collins Street Melbourne exemplifies this approach – with perforated stainless steel wall cladding exposing the steel screws that secure these panels.
And from day one, DCM has always strived to be a city-based practice with an international, rather than simply a local focus. “When we moved to Niagara Lane in the CBD after moving out my living room, it was always going to be an urban practice, not a suburban one,” adds Denton. And the city of Melbourne, as well as cities around the world, have greatly benefited from this decision.
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Text by Stephen Crafti
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