[COM] Victoria Square Upgrade - $24m

[Ho Really]

on the way home today i saw 2 guys measuring out some stuff in the middle of vic sq fountain side.... so didnt really look like anything to do with the tram... I wonder, who they were and what they were doing

Maybe someone who's interested in the $20K prize money. Not having plans of the square they were probably doing some personal surveying, who knows.

Also... i was looking at the treees in the square and to be honest i think they are all pretty ugly... and theres no consistancy between them, I hope they get replaced!

It's been like that for too long. Also many of them have been run down. A real pity.

Cheers

[crawf]

FFS this is Adelaide, not Melbourne!

City needs Federation Square
Article from: Sunday Mail (SA)

August 26, 2007 12:15am

ADELAIDE is in danger of falling behind other Australian capital cities if it does not revitalise its central business district.
World-renowned Donald Bates, principal architect of Melbourne's Federation Square, says Adelaide is not nearly as dynamic as it could be.

Melbourne-based Mr Bates, who has been to Adelaide three times, says while a single development would not provide an instant fix, a central community area simliar to the highly successful Federation Square could give a "sense of identity" and a "focus for community activities".

"Adelaide is incredibly suburban and almost rural with people living quite far out," he said. "It risks exacerbating that if there isn't a focus more towards the central city.

"There are risks cities have in becoming these spreading suburban landscapes where everyone feels like they have to move further and further out, and the downtown suffers from that.

"Adelaide would fit into that trend and it takes a conscious effort to look at ways to reverse it."

He does not think Adelaide or Perth are nearly as dynamic as they could be.

"They risk falling behind in terms of civic profile if some thoughts aren't put into rejuvenating and revitalising the cities," he said.

"A singular development is not going to do it.

"Melbourne, to me, is bustling, busy and vibrant and a very small portion of that has to do with Federation Square.

"Its success has to do with the council, traffic, the business community. In Adelaide, it might be a case of taking some of the existing facilities and trying to find a way to merge them more with the rest of the urban fabric rather than being isolated."

Mr Bates' comments come on the heels of a 50-year vision for Adelaide by three leading young architects.

The Adelaide 2050 Group – David Burton, Mario Dreosti and Jason Schulz – have designed what they say is a comprehensive blueprint for the development for major areas across the city.

The group was driven by concerns that major projects, including the $1.7 billion Marjorie Jackson-Nelson Hospital, were being planned in isolation.

Mr Burton said Adelaide should be thinking in terms of a "20-hour city" rather than the city closing down at the end of each day.

"We very much think Adelaide needs to embrace those sorts of concepts," he said.

"It's all very well and good to say Adelaide needs its own Federation Square but you just can't plonk it somewhere.

"You need to take into account what you are going to be doing over the next 10 to 15 years in terms ofdevelopment.

"I'm not certain you need one single spot that everyone migrates to. Adelaide needs a master plan to link key sites across the city."

Despite no political affiliation, Mr Burton said planning issues needed to become an election issue.

"We'd like to make it an election issue but we really don't care who picks it up," he said.

"Urban planning is an issue that affects an enormous number of things and shouldn't necessarily be aligned with one political party."

Key elements of the group's vision include:

A SPORTS hub at Cheltenham, replacing West Lakes as the home of AFL in the state.

A NEW health precinct at Keswick.

SCRAPPING the hospital on the Adelaide Railyards in favour of a cultural precinct.

MOVING more key projects closer to transport hubs.

MAKING the CBD more pedestrian friendly

[Pistol]

Melbourne-based Mr Bates, who has been to Adelaide three times, says while a single development would not provide an instant fix, a central community area simliar to the highly successful Federation Square could give a "sense of identity" and a "focus for community activities".

Sums it up really

[toby1]

well I agree that our city needs a focus, but lets not use fed sq as a template or we will just get a derivative of the eyesore that is melbourne's "heart".

Can I suggest using the corner of pulteney and rundle - going ahead with the big video screen and removing traffic from that corner to provide a focal point for community events and celebrations. It is not really the centre but it is one of the central pedestrian points because of rundle st and the mall, and i note that traffic there is not really essential - there is very little that could not be accessed via another route and it gets a bit overused by vehicles anyway.

I feel that if some wonderful result was to come in for SA (grand final, world cup, whatever) this would be a natural point for many people to gather, so providing for this makes some sense yes?

[Ho Really]

Can I suggest using the corner of pulteney and rundle - going ahead with the big video screen and removing traffic from that corner to provide a focal point for community events and celebrations. It is not really the centre but it is one of the central pedestrian points because of rundle st and the mall, and i note that traffic there is not really essential - there is very little that could not be accessed via another route and it gets a bit overused by vehicles anyway.

That area around the Rundle, Pulteney Street and the Mall intersection is too small for any type of gathering even if the road was closed and made into a square. Victoria Square has much more potential for sure. Also the railyards and maybe a few other places in the city square mile or the surrounding parklands. Adelaide has so much potential for all sorts of projects it is unbelievable. We just need to pull our fingers out and do the things right first off.

Cheers

[stelaras]

In my opinion the only cultural/meeting place that is large enough and historic enough and beautiful enough is Victoria Square.....The GPO and its clock tower in nearby. the markets are near by, Rundle mall/street are nearby..the tram is there and you can access most entertainment areas via the extension of the tram line..

All you really need to do is stop the traffic (cars etc) from traversing through it and build something that is uniquely Adelaide pulling some aspects from the Fed square in terms of eateries, screens/stages and bars/clubs and museums of art!

That to me is the perfect site

[Ho Really]

I had a chance to cruise down Grote Street last week and have a quick look at what they have done to the footpaths and median strip. I still think Grote, Wakefield Streets should not be blocked at the Square. A tunnel is the right solution in my mind now that I've seen the carparking facilities at the new Bus Station. If Grote Street were to be closed off all traffic would have to circle the Square. At that point you might as well divert the King William traffic around too making Victoria Square a huge green island (with the appropriate building of course).

One preliminary idea I have is to divert King Willam Street around the Square enlarging it in the north western and south eastern corners. The road would pass directly in front of the new SA Water office and the old MLC buildings forming T-junctions at Franklin and Angas Streets. The slip roads at the State Admin Centre and at the Hilton would remain, maybe narrowed a little. Grote, Wakefield Streets would be undergrounded into a tunnel. In the area of the old tram terminus and the Queen Victoria statue there would be an iconic building. It would have an Aboriginal design using steel, stained glass and coloured aluminium (maybe even bronze). The building may even have a forecourt facing the fountain. As for its use, I'm not quite sure, but it would have to attract people all the time (or at least most of it) and not just tourists.

An alternative would be to close off Grote, Wakefield Streets and send all traffic around the square and save on the tunnel.

Thoughts?

Cheers

[Will]

^^^

Why should we have a politically correct building? Victoria Square is a European creation, therefore I dont' understand why it should have such an overwhelming Aboriginal emphasis.

[Ho Really]

^^^

Why should we have a politically correct building? Victoria Square is a European creation, therefore I dont' understand why it should have such an overwhelming Aboriginal emphasis.

Well, I don't think anyone else has one for staters. Would you rather have something that typifies our European culture?

Cheers

[Will]

^^^

Why should we have a politically correct building? Victoria Square is a European creation, therefore I dont' understand why it should have such an overwhelming Aboriginal emphasis.

Well, I don't think anyone else has one for staters. Would you rather have something that typifies our European culture?

Cheers

I would have something that everyone can relate to.

[Ho Really]

I would have something that everyone can relate to.

A mixture maybe?

Cheers

[Will]

I would have something that everyone can relate to.

A mixture maybe?

Cheers

Australia is a multicultural country, so I think it is responsible to recognize the contributions made by every culture not just one or a few.

However saying that, the building would look strange because Australia is composed by over 100 different cultures!

[Shuz]

Yeah, were multicultural but were founded on British origins so its only fair that something should be commemorated relating our British settlement. People need to learn that they cant walk in here with their noodles and balaklavas and tap dancing 'traditions' and not give two hoots about how and who Australia was founded by.

[urban]

The aborigines say the same thing about the British

[Ho Really]

Australia is a multicultural country, so I think it is responsible to recognize the contributions made by every culture not just one or a few.
However saying that, the building would look strange because Australia is composed by over 100 different cultures!

It may end up looking like a pizza... with so many things put together.

Cheers