Under the banner “Making a great market even better” a group
of students from Melbourne University’s Bachelor of Environment course recently
completed a Landscape Studio based on The Queen Victoria Market.
Using the maxim “First life, then spaces, then buildings –
the other way around never works” students were invited to propose designs for
our car park area incorporating the protection of QVM’s heritage with the
reality of an increasing population living around the market.
The resulting 9 design propositions have been put on display
at the National Trust Gallery in the city (4 Parliament Pl. East Melbourne) and
represent an intriguing variety of ideas on how our car park could be transformed
to a relevant urban landscape. Variations included a simple park-like concept
designed to provide a resting point and an observation post for the nearby
bustling market, to a combined park and retail design enhancing the “Slow Food”
movement, and a proposal for a tram “Super Stop” to link “QVM Plaza” with
surrounding CBD locations.
Of course the big picture for traders involves where an
alternative car park would be located and it is fair to say that our Lord Mayor and State Premier's enthusiasm for a green park never did get universal acceptance from traders concerned about the commercial realities of business at QVM. But if you are interested in how the
current asphalt desert might look with professional urban landscaping, this
exhibition is worth a look. The exhibition is on at 4 Parliament Pl. East
Melbourne (just off Spring St.) and is open Monday to Friday.
COMMENTS:
22/07/2014 10:51:33 Car Park without cars "These look good, (not that it suits the market, to have no car park) but the only problem l see is that it does not incorporate the new road right through the middle of the car park. Should this have not been included in this exercise?"