Prahran Market Revitalized with Danpal’s Innovative Translucent Roofing Solution

Famous for outstanding food and hard-to-find speciality items, Prahran Market is proud to be Australia’s premier food market. Having operated since 1864, it is also Australia’s oldest continuously running food market. In 2023, Foursight Architects sought the industry-leading expertise of Danpal Australia to specify premium quality translucent roofing systems over a series of large complex outdoor canopies.

Foursight’s brief was to co-ordinate the safe replacement of 12mm laminated glazing installed in the 1990s that was starting to crack and delaminate on a steel frame that was no longer structurally suitable for supporting it.

The scope of the project involved approximately 830 square metres of material over multiple outdoor canopies featuring several geometric and logistical challenges. Drainage and roof penetration issues had to be resolved, along with the co-ordination of a precise delivery schedule and a safe working environment within a functioning retail environment.

The solution to all these problems was a 30mm thick Danpalon roofing system manufactured in Foursight’s preferred colour scheme of clear, grey and bronze at a width that aligned with the spacing of the existing steel framing members. This replacement polycarbonate roofing system weighed less than one-fifth of the glass that it was replacing. This resolved the issue of the structurally overstressed streel framework and allowed the installation to be completed within the accelerated timeframes required by the client.

Danpal worked with project stakeholders to resolve concerns around fire engineering and impact resistance, as well as providing a complete set of project-specific installation documents for the benefit of the installation contractor. The result is a more colourful and practical outdoor environment with reduced heat loads, delivered at a cost significantly less than that of conventional glazing. Danpal’s comprehensive project consultation ensured the resultant solution adequately addressed all the complex design criteria, while simultaneously providing a visually spectacular and cost-effective project outcome.