Many 6160 Fremantle
transforming an Empty Department Store Into a Thriving Creative Hub
Year:
2013 - 2017
Location:
Fremantle, WA
Use:
Retail, Maker-spaces/Studios, Gallery, Events Space
Activation Partner:
Sirona Urban
Size:
20,000m2
Images:
Cale Black
Stephen Davies
Dr Brad Pettit
The Space
MANY 6160 was a large-scale activation project delivered by SPACEMRKT in partnership with Sirona Capital and the City of Fremantle. Occupying the former Myer department store in Kings Square, the project reimagined over 20,000m2 of vacant floorspace as a dynamic hub for makers, artists, and small retailers.
Conceived as a temporary “meanwhile use”, the initiative transformed an empty commercial asset into a thriving creative ecosystem. Across four years, more than 120 tenants occupied studios, workshops, and retail spaces under flexible short-term licences that encouraged experimentation and collaboration.
The Impact
The project generated substantial community and economic outcomes, employing over 500 people and supporting more than 100 start-ups, all while improving safety and vitality in Fremantle’s city centre. Independent analysis identified a tenfold return to the local economy, proving the value of adaptive reuse in urban regeneration.
Through innovative tenancy models and active place management, SPACEMRKT demonstrated how cultural and commercial uses can coexist to strengthen local enterprise and revitalise under-utilised urban assets.
“MANY 6160 has been shown to increase unique visitorship to this important part of Fremantle by up to 500 people per day. In doing so, we have seen a clear improvement in public perception of the Kings Square precinct. The project has contributed $1.7 million to the local economy each year at a cost-benefit ratio of ten to one, while employing over 100 people and generating more than 4,000 hours of new work each week.”
Dr Brad Pettitt,
Former Mayor,
City of Fremantle
