Westfield Knox Shopping Centre
Ampac protects a 4-level Melbourne shopping centre with 350+ retailers
Westfield Knox is a premier, four-level shopping centre located in the outer eastern Melbourne suburb of Wantirna South. In 2023, the centre underwent a major redevelopment, which included significant expansions and new additions, positioning it as one of the largest shopping centres in Australia.
The $355 million investment introduced 20 new stores, a full-sized FIBA-grade basketball court, and a nature-inspired kids’ play space, alongside several community-focused initiatives. Additionally, a gourmet marketplace, international mini-major precinct, and a wide range of fashion retailers were added, further enhancing the shopping experience.
As of 2023, the centre spans approximately 141,000 square metres and houses over 350 specialty stores.
The Challenge
One of the major challenges of this project was ensuring that all the stores in the busy Westfield Knox remained protected while the existing fire detection and evacuation systems were being replaced with new systems.
The Solution
To enhance fire protection at Westfield Knox, Ampac assisted with upgrading the shopping centre’s fire alarm system by replacing the legacy FireFinder panels with FireFinder Plus. This intelligent analogue Addressable Fire Alarm Control Panel has been designed to meet the requirements of AS 7240.2, AS 7240.4 and AS 4428.3:2010.
Additionally, Ampac assisted with replacement of the outdated Emergency Warning and Intercom System (EWIS) with new compliant EvacUElite system, which is compliant to AS 4428.16:2020 Grade 1, AS 4428.4:2016, and AS 7240.4:2018 standards. EvacUElite’s flexible user programming made it the ideal choice for Westfield Knox given the shopping centre’s size.
SmartView, Ampac’s fully featured graphical event management system, was also installed at the site to complement the fire control panels (FireFinder Plus). SmartView works seamlessly with FireFinder Plus, providing operators with clear and precise alarm information. Given the large size of the shopping centre, SmartView is crucial in enabling operators to make timely, informed emergency decisions.
The complete solution included:
- 10 Node FireFinder Plus Network Loops
- 26 map SmartView Graphics
- 9 x Node EvacUElite Network system
- 32 x Evacuations Zones
- 52 x WIPs
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Image Credit: Westfield Knox
