CIVIC HALL SITE
a community design process
NEWSLETTER
8th EDITION
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CONTENTS PAGE 1 Issue #34- 31st August PAGE 18 Issue #35 -
16th September
civic hall site journal edition 34 & 35 August / September 2015 www.civichallsite.org cover image Open Door Studio graphics Cait Conley, Phillipa Hall, Han Li, Nicole Mechkaroff , Matt Tibballs edit Michelle James, Ammon Beyerle, Ailsa Brackley du Bois
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ISSUE #34 - August 31st Welcome to your regular newsletter for all things happening at the Civic Hall Site
CORE TEAM UPDATE Yes; it’s been a month since our last newsletter... Hello! Over the past month lots has happened, and it’s about time that we write to you, late on a Sunday afternoon, beneath beautiful-sky-lit Ballarat in the very last days of Winter. Where July was a month of reparations, planning and preparations, August has been a month of pushing; pushing to get things going – persisting, one might say. Activation requires long hours, extra care, stress, negotiation, patience, arguments, forgiveness and hard work. We’ve launched a number of programmes and processes with the intention that they will last (in some form) for years to come. There have been many obstacles put in the way that don’t need to be there, and the human impact on time and energy has been significant. Those of you close to the project are undoubtedly aware of how difficult this project is, probably because we are pushing through the weight of years of inaction, mistrust, conservation and admittedly our own human confidence to get good outcomes through change. We have really appreciated the many of you that have come into the studio or contacted us personally to express your support. We also now acknowledge the extra support of two new members to the Partnership Group – the Ballarat Foundation and Commerce Ballarat. The Core Team at Civic Hall Site are keenly aware of the need to push through. Daily, we continue to see and hear the site’s potential to have a transformative impact on the future of Ballarat’s culture and economy, particularly of the environment in our beautiful CBD. There are a number of leaders on-board, speaking and debating about this possibility through our community.
Just imagine: in only a few years from now a new proud Ballarat Civic Plaza on Mair St, first stage of the adaptively reused flexible Civic Hall and Foyer complete and well used for a variety of everyday activities, meetings, exchanges and events, and, perhaps even connecting through to the just complete new Ballarat Library – a bustling (and also relaxing) internal landscape of books, comfy chairs, digital and physical resources – well-integrated with a hub of large and small new businesses, commerce, ideas and many new jobs, a short 200 metres from the newly refurbished bluestone Goods-Shed Conference Centre and the fine Ballarat Station Hotel, a short regular skip down to Melbourne on the train. The Core Team are working hard to find the right tone to make this happen and design it with you because this imagination will need many hands and voices to come into being. It will need a network. It will also take some hard choices.
THE ROLE OF THE CEO IN THE CIVIC HALL SITE PROJECT Since the start of the project, City of Ballarat’s CEO Anthony Schinck has been an instrumental part of the project, and since the July 8 Report to Council, officially co-chairs a small steering group with the Project Director Ammon Beyerle, who meets almost weekly to keep the project’s leadership as a close partnership between the City of Ballarat and Here Studio. Anthony and Ammon led the presentation to the Victorian State Government Architect in July. In this presentation they received advice to focus on actually delivering known aspects of the Civic Hall Site piece by piece that came out of the 10 Concepts through a site-wide implementation strategy. This strategy, and in some ways the project progress, was recently put into some uncertainty before the CEO’s reappointment. On WinTV Local News on 21st August, Ballarat’s CEO Anthony Schinck announced the following: “I would anticipate that Council will commence work on a number of those known (aspects), over the course of later this year or early next year, then let the participatory design process deal with the rest over the next stage.”
p3 PROJECT RESOURCE GROUP RESTRUCTURE One of the important arrangements to deliver Phase 2 is a broader structure of fortnightly working groups of Council Officers in three key outcomes of the project: Open Space, CBD Activation, and Libraries. These three groups are the main opportunities for Council staff to participate in the project development to provide input and support. It provides an opportunity for Council to have live input shaping the concepts, and eventually feeling shared ownership of project delivery on a variety of fronts. These working groups hope to launch in the coming weeks and will be made up of different Council Officers that will also come together as a Project Resource Group for coordination. The Project Resource Group is chaired by our brave project manager Cameron Duthie.
TECHNICAL CONSULTANTS NOW ON BOARD This past month the Core Team contracted three more technical consultants to take part in the project delivery. The process took a full month of meeting consultants, preparing briefs and gathering submissions to make a selection. Our Core Team met some excellent candidates. Our team is now joined by one of the best structural engineers in Australia – John Bahoric, who brings a wealth of experience on many projects of similar significance and scale and has worked with most of the leading architects in Victoria, one recent iconic project includes the impressive double cantilever structure of AAMI Park Stadium in Melbourne (en.wikipedia.org/ wiki/Melbourne_Rectangular_Stadium), and over a dozen major learning and teaching buildings for the University of Monash, Melbourne and RMIT. John has also worked on a range of adaptive reuse projects of the same era as the 1956 Civic Hall. We are also joined by Mike Rainbow from Ark Resources (www.ark-resources.com.au), a highly experienced Environmentally Sustainable Design (ESD) consultant with an international background, London and Johannesburg, who has a long folio of experience on major transformative projects – such as the City of Melbourne CH2 building (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Council_House_2), the first purpose-built office building in Australia to achieve a maximum Six Green Star rating; and BHP Billiton’s New Global HQ, the first premium grade office fit-out in Melbourne in 20 years. He has also recently completed the Docklands Library and Community Hub in Melbourne. Finally, last week John, Ammon and Phillipa went to Box Hill to meet with our new Cost Planner, Paul Dowling of Wilde Woollard. We are looking forward to working closely with Paul and learning from his strong experience with challenging community and adaptive reuse projects such the Abbotsford Convent (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbotsford_Convent), Melbourne’s Luna Park, and the Australian Catholic University Central Hall. Paul is excited to work on a such a
SITE CONTAMINATION During August we received the results of a series of reports detailing the impact of industrial uses of the site in the past, as Petrol Station, Haymarket and Mechanical Yard. These uses caused site contamination which now exceeds Health Investigation Levels acceptable for public open space. This means the entire site is probably unfit for public recreation at present, and needs further assessment, remediation and/or application of appropriate long term environmental management so that it can be used for recreational purposes by the public in the future. The contamination is typically in the top 0.5 metres of ground, although it is up to 2 metres deep in some places. There are a number of options we will be considering in response, and all have cost and design implications: - Capping: Least costly option, in which tarmac or pavers are installed with 0.5m of clean soil beneath. This means plants can not be grown in the ground at all, and there would also be risk associated with maintaining untreated soil onsite long term. - Containment cell creation: Relatively low cost option, which involves moving the contaminated soil to one location and containing it by sealing that area off. The advantage is that the remainder of the site can be freely used without any risk, and plantings can occur. - Removal of contaminated soil: This is a costly option, in which existing soil has to be removed and treated, before being reused elsewhere. New, clean fill must be brought onto the site to instead. -
Onsite treatment: A high cost option, in which the existing soil is decontaminated on-site.
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The team is currently working out what approach, or mix of approaches, will be best. For example, if the site is capped, there will be no large areas of grass and trees, only contained planting, which will reduce the amount of green space on the site. However, the cost of decontaminating the soil is very high, while the visual impact of this is limited. The money which would be spent on decontamination could instead be spent on hard landscaping or buildings to act as capping, and on creating raised landscapes on the roofs or around the site. This new information has particular relevance to the way we view Concept C, with the raised landscape around the Civic Hall. This option would mean that the existing contaminated soil would be capped and kept away from anything new planted on the site. Existing trees, such as the native ginkos, could potentially be relocated into clean new soil in large planter cavities built into new capped plaza areas. Alternatively, Concept G, in which the majority of the site becomes green park space, would require on-site treatment, which becomes a very expensive option. Now that we are aware of the contamination issue, there are various approaches we need to consider in the context of preparing the next 5 concepts, so this news adds an extra dimension of complexity to our task. We’ll keep you updated.
BUILDING REPORTS DUE Due the known difficulties the process has had concerning access to the Civic Hall buildings, Council Officers have been working over the past few months to receive new reports assessing the building conditions before any further works can be done. Unfortunately the reports are now at least a month over due and we have nothing we can report. This has also made further design and feedback challenging. We had hoped by now to be able to have weekly tours of the Civic Hall buildings and regular events and workshops as part of the design process and broader activation process. Everyday in the Open Door Studio we constantly get questions community members as to the progress of any clean up, maintenance or renovation works. We have had to plan around this delay as best as we can, and moved the In the Breath of Ghosts Installation (ballaratfoto.org/in-the-breath-ofghosts/) forward as a result. May we ask for a bit more sitting tight for now? We hope to be able to let you know more in the coming weeks.
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SOCIAL MEDIA UPDATE 500 FACEBOOK FOLLOWERS! The Civic Hall Site achieved its goal of hitting 500 followers on facebook by July 31st. In fact we now have 553 followers. We encourage everyone to follow our facebook page and sign up for our weekly newsletters. The more support we have, the more likely the Civic Hall Site project will succeed, so please help us spread the word!
EVENTS Notice Board We now have an events black board out the front, just like a real venue! Yay! Drive past and have a look. We’ll obviously use it to advertise any current or forthcoming events, as well as any announcements that we think may be relevant to people passing by.
IN THE BREATH OF GHOSTS @ THE BALLARAT INTERNATIONAL FOTO BIENNALE A series of interactive tours have been organised over the past week in the unrestored Main Hall of Civic Hall, as part of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. It is open another for another week for interactive tours, strictly limited to 8 people at a time. Our courageous local artist Dr Lisa Anderson writes: “This immersive installation commissioned by BIFB from my shinyshinyworld projects that look experimentally into environment to see what we usually do not see, the marks left by legends of place the scars buried in landscape. We will walk away enticing our imaginations to look at the movement and blur of photographs, the colours of smell and sound will help us connect more willingly to an overlay of story about this controversial place. The stories and images I present here are about seeking understandings of local legends and the footprints left behind by others in usually remote locations, from the heights of the Himalayas, to the deep Malaysian rainforest. Around the video works and infrared photographs are domestic games of mark making, movement and surprise and the gentle Guardians will use the Federation Bells to bring up the now silent breath of the auditorium. It is a stimulant for your imagination to understand what marks and therefore makes a space, as wide as an Indian palace and as wild as a tropical rainforest. These images play within the shadows of Civic Hall and let you invent your own story, colour and smell of Civic Hall In The Breath of Ghosts.” (See Ballarat International Foto Biennale website at http://ballaratfoto.org/in-the-breath-ofghosts/ for more information - or please see the video on WinTV’s Facebook)
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59TH ANNIVERSARY GATHERING On Thursday, 20th August, various members of the Ballarat community group Save Civic Hall, gathered in the foyer to celebrate the 59th Anniversary since the old Hall’s opening. There was live music, singing, speeches, balloons and cake cutting. Notably the group also brought in a performance poet and play-wright, Tiffany Barton, from W.A., to read an original piece reflecting on the experiences the ‘Grand Dame’ has had over the years, titled ‘Give Her Shelter.’ A good time was had by all.
LIBRARIES OF THE FUTURE SEMINAR Our Libraries of the Future Seminar was on Thursday the 27th of August, from 6.30 - 8.30pm. Learning & Innovation was one of the key themes being revealed through the community consultation of the first 10 concepts. We hosted this seminar to relaunch the project for the redevelopment of the Ballarat Library into the Civic Hall Site project, and to help tease out the full potential for the Ballarat Library before it goes into design development. Come in and chat with us about how it went – We will try do a write up in the next newsletter.
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DESIGN DESIGN REVIEW PANEL - THE KEY POINTS OF FEEDBACK As discussed in previous newsletters, Ammon, Michelle, Anthony and Cameron presented the progress of the project to the Victorian Design Review Panel, the Office of the Victorian Government Architect (www.ovga.vic.gov.au/victorian-design-review-panel.html). In our recent Partnership Group meeting we discussed the key points from the meeting with the auspicious jury – Jill Garner (Chair), Nigel Bertram (Architect), John Denton (Architect) and David Dreadon (Landscape Architect). We also receive detailed written feedback. The first key point of feedback that we are focussing on, at the moment, regards considering the site at a catalyst rather than just a solution to everything. The Civic Hall Site has an opportunity to drive transformation in the Ballarat CBD through encouraging activation and innovation – such as in housing and commercial development, but not necessarily on the Civic Hall Site. The second key point of feedback we hope to emphasise is recognition and implementation of known elements. It is clear through the many attempts to redevelop the site, and Phase 1 “300to10” of the Civic Hall Site, that the same elements keep appearing. It is time to design and deliver with the knowns so that we can move onto to address the unknowns. The third key point of feedback concerns design through provocation, not only response. We heard an appreciation that we had been sensitive up to now, predominantly listening to produce the 10 concepts. We understood that Phase 2 and 3 now require more of Here Studio to produce design through architectural provocation, putting ideas forward and making hard decisions as architects. As discussed in previous newsletters, Ammon, Michelle, Anthony and Cameron presented the progress of the project to the Victorian Design Review Panel, the Office of the Victorian Government Architect. We recently discussed the key points from the meeting with the jury.
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LIBRARY, LIBRARY, LIBRARY! As you know, this is Library month! We hear a lot in the studio that people feel libraries are becoming obsolete, yet the Ballarat Library is continuing to receive an average of up to 1,600 visitors a day, according to Jenny Fink, Operations Manager for Ballarat Library and the Central Highlands Libraries. That is an extraordinary amount of foot traffic, and the library continues to attract new users. We’d love to know your thoughts on the matter, so come in and see us or post a comment on our facebook. In the meantime, here’s a few examples of recently built local libraries.
Library at the Dock, Docklands Melbourne, Hayball. (Upper images) This example builds on the essential and enduring building type with the capacity to strengthen neighbourhoods and communities. It is a community hub for locals and the neighbourhood. As well as a traditional library collection, it offers meeting, performance, exhibition and entertainment spaces, digital studios, children’s areas and a café, and in this sense, the building serves as a forum – a gathering space and place for exchanging information – fostering a strong sense of community. What’s more the structure is timber. The East Melbourne Library, Richmond Designed with much local community consultation. (Lower images) This precedent is for an open, relaxed and transparent institution. Since opening, the new facility has exceeded all predictions for visitor numbers. The demographic also seems to have changed, with many younger people and students using the facility. The inclusion of public PC access, along with wireless internet access has been well received. As well as a new library and community centre, East Melbourne has also gained valuable public urban space in the form of a small, open plaza that forms the main street entry to the building. The 2013 Ballarat Library proposal Flightpath Architects from Adelaide with Peter Moecke proposed a design for The Ballarat Library that used the existing building in a similar layout – with major changes – and extended the new addition down to Armstrong St on the North side. At the time, it was somewhat constrained by the spectre of the Civic Hall. This month we have been thinking outside the square, or in this case outside the existing library. Should we build a new library and put something else in the old? Should we put the new library in the Civic Hall? Should we mix them, new and old? The 2013 proposal by Flightpath Architects is available for viewing in the Open Door Studio.
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INDOOR OUTDOOR SPACES As the past weeks have demonstrated, Ballarat is cold! But we still love parks, so we have been looking for a meet-in-the-middle alternative. Here are some indoor outdoor atrium precedents that we think are pretty spiffy.
ROYAL WELSH COLLEGE OF MUSIC AND DRAMA This example looks at a new atrium and two performance spaces connected to an existing college. The atrium is used by all sorts of people – at weekends and after school by children and their parents waiting for music lessons, as a foyer for performances in the theatre, as a cafe for the public, to host small free events (weekly jazz night) and for private dinners and dances. It has a ticket office and information for the theatres, which host productions by the college and touring performances. A pass from security is needed to get into the main college, and tickets are needed to get into the theatres. The existing rooms in the college are hired out to local dance and drama groups.
IN OTHER NEWS HOMELESSNESS PREVENTION WEEK Mid August featured Homelessness Prevention Week, a week when Homelessness Australia asked everyone to be aware of the issue and think of strategies that allow everyone to chip in to; raise community awareness and understanding of homelessness? increase community connections for those who are homeless, or at risk of homelessness? recognise the individuals and groups who help those experiencing, or at risk of, homelessness? increase community understanding and connections for those working in the homelessness sector? For more information on the Homelessness Prevention week visit the Homelessness Australia website at www.homelessnessaustralia.org.au/index.php/events/hpw/hpw-2015. As you can imagine, the design of public space often considers this issue with two main, and different, approaches – preventative and accommodative. The Australian architect Sean Godsell designed a series of furniture for public space that transform in to shelter for the homeless to sleep. This is a refreshing change from the many park benches that discourage the homeless sleeping there yet this has also sparked an argument of the enabling of homelessness rather than a solution. What are your thoughts on the matter? Do you think the Civic Hall Site should have sheltered benches for the homelessness?
We hope to see you soon at the open door studio!
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ISSUE #35 - September 16th CORE TEAM UPDATE AN EDITORIAL TEAM For this 35th edition, we introduce Ailsa Brackley du Bois from the The Editorial Suite ( as our new Managing Editor of the Civic Hall Site newsletter. Ammon will continue on Editing as Director. This shift will relieve our architects of some tasks, and enable them to get on with the all important job of consultation, urban design and architecture! After-all, there’s only 6.5 weeks left now until the reveal of the next 5 concepts at our Transition Exhibition: Phase 5to3. This milestone event is scheduled for Saturday, 31st October. Ammon will continue to author the main programme updates on what we are now calling ‘The Big Picture’ (variously involving updates on the Partnership Group, the Project Resource Group, Council interactions, implementation work, building reports and the nitty gritty of the planning process) and ‘Design Matters’ (probably with the help of whole team). Ailsa will take on the role of introducing new team members for ‘Core Team Update’, writing some of the items on design considerations and undertake content theming and reportage on the topics of ‘Events & Activities’ and ‘In Other News’... This means we can again commit to a regular newsletter – to be dispatched every second Tuesday morning, in the future. The last 34 issues of the newsletter have been co-authored by Ammon, Caitlin and Michelle. It’s been a real team effort to keep everyone informed and up-tothe-latest-debates. We look forward to getting more people directly involved in the Newsletter and we will continue to provide hard-copies in the Open Door Studio for those of you that don’t have email.
NEW DESIGN TEAM MEMBER This fortnight, we welcomed Nicole Mechkaroff to the core team of architects at Here Studio. Nicole has a B.Arch (Hons) from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology. She is also a researcher and design theory tutor with experience in residential, educational, health and commercial architecture. She is driven by strategic planning, construction practices and, policy developments that are concerned with good design and the development of healthy communities, and she has an eye to detail. Nicole has practical experience in workshop facilitation and community and stakeholder consultation, which has been critical in shaping her design approach for identifying human needs relating to accessibility, adaptability and comfort. Nicole is part-time and will start full-time in a fortnight. She will be focusing on the practical requirements of the library extension brief, and building regulations of other parts of the design project. Please help us make Nicole feel welcome if you come into the Open Door Studio.
NEW HISTORY INTERN
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We also welcome Liana Skewes, Deakin University undergraduate student and Ballarat resident. Liana has also joined the team as a history intern specialising in communications, under the supervision of Ailsa at The Editorial Suite. Liana is working on a project called ‘Civic Stories’, which will document people’s recollections. An interactive website will be created to showcase the stories of people who have engaged with the site over the years since 1956, with all decades being represented, and all points of view considered. Interviewees must be willing to be photographed on site, for a profile picture, either inside the Open Door Studio or outside, in a location of their choice - Wherever they feel is most relevant to their memories and lived experience. Liana is available for people to book in for interviews on Thursday afternoons, or by special arrangement. The ‘Civic Stories’ project will run until the end of October, but will have an archival ‘shelf life’ well beyond that.
THE BIG PICTURE PROJECT RESOURCE GROUP REPRISED As discussed in our previous Newsletters, it has taken us some time to restart our Project Resource Group at Council. These restarted last week. The role of the Project Resource Group is to provide a focused forum for the Core Team to meet with Council Officers with particular expertise relevant to our project. The intention is that through these meetings Council has a means to participate in the design process so that the ideas are influenced and owned by Council Officers as well the community. It we be increasingly important that the Council is involved through the process so that the design concepts are feasible, beautiful and relevant to current projects, policies and strategies. The meetings are also an opportunity for the Civic Hall Site process to become an integral project and a new collaborative way of working. The Project Resource Group meets as three separate working groups: Public Open Spaces, CBD Activation and the Library. The Library Group has been forming over many months through our meetings with Jenny Fink. Some of the interesting discussions have included the Civic Hall Site’s proximity to possible extensions of the CBD as part of the Health and Education Precinct, opportunities for medium and long-term activation of areas surrounding the Civic Hall Site, current and possible future theming of planting elements, and material choices of paving and furniture, and even options for demonstration environmental sustainability projects.
Maintenance works Submit planning application
Council Chamber PG PRG WG
November 16
23
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December 7 14
Civic Hall Site Phase 2
PG PRG WG
October 12 19
Prepare planning application
Production 2
Production 1
PRG PG PRG WG
Assembly Workshop (Green Space)
September 14 21 7
5 Concepts Draft
Pre-planning
Charette 3 Consultants Draft 2
28
5
My Civic
5 Concepts Exhibition
26
2015
2
9
Assembly
PG PRG WG
Workshops
Sketch Implementation Charette 2 Consultants Draft 1
PRG PG PRG WG
Workshop (Sound + Light)
Partnership Group Project Resouce Group Project Resource Group (subgroups) Working groups
Charette 1
+ Library every Tuesday + Arts every Tuesday + CEO weekly + Project Manager weekly
Concept Implementation
+ Core Team every Monday + Brief update every Monday + Outreach weekly (T/Th non-workshop days) 8 September 2015 v1
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IMPLEMENTATION UPDATE This past fortnight the Core Team have focussed quite a bit on the implementation of the Civic Hall Site project involving a mix of renovation, demolition, adaptation, and construction. To prepare for this we need to think about including time-consuming processes such as planning permits and tendering of works. This builds on elements that have been discussed in the previous few Newsletters. The discussions this fortnight have included lots of messy diagrams and debates –including with the Partnership Group last Tuesday. Currently the focus for Stage 1 is the Foyer, Main Hall and the landscape to the South and West of the Civic Hall Site. It is becoming clear that the 5 concepts phase will have a milestone in the final week of October and the Core Team will then prepare a planning permit for Stage 1 works over November. To get this started, in three weeks the architects will meet with Planning at the City of Ballarat to discuss a timeline and what has to be submitted. We intend that the Stage 2 Report with 5 concepts and a planning application for Stage 1 implementation will be ready together before being submitted at the end of the year. Update on Building Report This has just recently been received by Council and we hope to receive and unpack it shortly.
p24 DESIGN MATTERS INSPIRATION - THEATRETTE REVIVAL We’re featuring a new section on inspiration, based on the assumption that anything we feature here may come as a surprise to some people, though not to all. We imagine this section will signal new ways of looking at spaces and their usage possibilities that have come out of current conversations we have been having in the Open Door Studio or abroad. In Newsletter #33 (released 30th July) we referenced some clear givens for bringing into all of the 5 forthcoming concepts. These included the retention and repurposing of the Foyer and the Main Hall. What was not specifically mentioned, but could be implied, was some retention of the balcony overhang and tiered seating above the Foyer and rear of the Main Hall. Lately, we’ve been toying with the idea of partitioning that balcony off at the front, where it currently looks over the Main Hall, and making it a specific space in its own right. With the current seating it holds up to 470 people and has strong potential as a theatrette for medium size lectures, seminars and even a cinema through the installation of cosmetic work, sound baffles and new digital technology. It already has its own dedicated projector room with wooden floor and a rewind room, however there are issues to resolve around mobility – including lifts, stairs, etc. The other factor we need to highlight is that sweet as the vintage 1950s seating may be, it is not practical for the diversity of 21st century body types and sizes... People require and expect more spacious and comfortable seating these days, so any adaptive reuse would probably need to factor in the removal of the existing seating and the installation of new seats. This has some obvious heritage ramifications to consider, and we may need to think about what to do with the rows of seating once they are removed. What we are questioning now, is whether it is viable to install an operable retractable wall across the front of the space to create an enclosed and intimate space, and flexible enough to be opened up again to the volume of the Main Hall when required. Last week our acoustical expert Graeme Campbell from SLR Consulting, advised that a permanent wall would be far preferable for sound insulation reasons and a lot more affordable. The architectural challenge with this is to think about what the potential loss of the function and experience of a large and long volume space may mean. Since this idea of the theatrette revival was made public in the Courier 9/9/15 we have received many positive comments of support for the idea in social media, around town, and in the Open Door Studio.
5 Concept Diagrams
PHASE 2 10TO5 SYNTHESIS PROCESS We are nearing the end of Phase 2 and after over two months of gathering it is time to bring together the 5 concepts. Last week Ammon drew out the 5 concepts in diagram form to spark further debate and focus development of the design work. If you came into the design studio last week you would have seen this, as well as notes, sketches, diagrams, area estimates and pictures blue-tacked onto the walls. We’ve also been able to spend some time sketching with you. The design team have finished a series of charettes on different design layers, looking at various precedents and are now starting charettes on the 5 concepts. We have been splitting up and then coming back together, critiquing our work with each other and drafting with our technical consultants in Engineering, Environmental Sustainability and Cost Planning. The discussions have also been integrated with the ongoing work of our Economist, Tony Irish and many many members of the community. Each charette is a little dive down into the detail of a concept. In short we have until the first week of October to bring out (and test) as much richness and ideas as possible, constantly informed by what we are hearing from feedback and input in the Open Door Studio. In three weeks we will need to switch to production mode as we draw up the set of 5 concepts. With all the input, debate, discussion and working-out that has happened over the past months, things are moving fast. Please do come in and visit us, as the ideas are developing very quickly.
Design Discussions with Visitors
COMMUNICATION OF DESIGN MOMENTS In our last exhibition of the 10 concepts, our final presentations included a computer-drawn large axonometric 3D image, hand-drawn perspectives of key views, small diagrams of the project in context, a comparative commercial modelling and a text blurb. In this 5 concepts presentations we are starting to lean towards a set of drawings that will highlight moments inside the Civic Hall Site masterplan, to both give spots of detail and to make the project tangible for the next phase. Instead of designing all the forms and faรงades, the moments we are starting to work on will be full architectural moments in themselves that are little vignette-snapshots of the overall masterplan. Please come into the Open Door Studio to discuss the atmospheres, materials and finishes you are imagining. We are starting to discuss whether there is an opportunity to find a future art deco style in structure, detail and cladding, and whether we can capture a sense of this what this idea means and has meant in the past for architecture in Ballarat.
Design Charette #1 - 26 Diagrams
CHARETTE 1 OUTPUTS Last week we finished our first design charette on the 5 concepts. We discovered many things, and our papers and sketches are up in the Open Door Studio for you to see. Some of the key ideas that came out of this (we identified 26 different architectural diagrams that might drive the suite of 5 concepts) include thoughts about what type of experience people may have as they move around the site in the future, and how to navigate through the various spaces. These ideas were: that the buildings may be a series of interconnected spaces rather than large single forms and masses that there might be lots of indoor rooms connected to outdoor rooms, and courtyards that filter linkages between new and old buildings that there might still be a strong East-West axis across the North of the site, that could dog-leg to emphasise a flow into public open spaces or connect the site together as one that circulation could be deeply integrated with visual access, so many different uses could occur on the site simultaneously that walking through one space could allow and encourage glimpses into adjacent spaces
Design Charette #1 - Outputs
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES LIBRARIES OF THE FUTURE SEMINAR On Thursday, 27th August, the Core Team & the Ballarat Library co-hosted an evening of public debate and idea sharing around the theme of what is needed for our library of the future here in Ballarat. Thank you to all 25 guests who joined us to kick-start this tremendously exciting conversation around redevelopment. Jenny Fink, Operations Manager for Ballarat & Central Highlands Libraries, held the floor with great enthusiasm, engaging people in discussion about what might be needed architecturally for function, service and experience of our forthcoming library redevelopment in the Civic Hall Site. It was interesting to note that due to the immense cultural changes and technological advances over the past three years, there was a general consensus that it may actually have been a blessing that the old plans of three years ago did not proceed. While they represented a functional response to the perceived needs of the time, they were not developed with a view to the whole surrounding site. Adaptation prospects for the Civic Hall building were not taken into account, nor were the more ambitious prospects that we are thinking about now in Ballarat. There was a palpable sense on the night that, as a community, we are ready to consider the population, societal growth and change prospects towards 2040. Both Jenny and Ammon highlighted in their presentations some of the most impressive innovations in library design nationally and globally. It became clear that we have an opportunity to create a holistic and multi-faceted library redevelopment that incorporates the many advances made globally in recent years. Libraries have evolved into important and vibrant community hubs and places of active learning and engagement. The discussion floated the idea of having a new entrance for the library facing Armstrong Street, which has a much friendlier pedestrian scale, presence and connection to the CBD. This seemed to be the preference of most attendees, despite the issues around relocation and the love people have for the current library. Thoughts were that this would make the library far more approachable and welcoming to people coming from the Railway Precinct and also the Arts & Culture Precinct and the CBD. Other popular ideas included a range of spaces with different atmospheres: some with music; some with dedicated internet hubs; a cafĂŠ within the library; chill-out spaces; an indoor nature atrium; greater archiving facilities, as well as multiple office and meeting room spaces for various community groups.
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It was clear that ambitions for the Ballarat Library run high in the community, and the current space is much too small (perhaps a third of the real requirements before population growth are taken into consideration). Reflecting on the strategic plan of the library completed in 2011, and the feasibility study completed in 2013, there was excitement that the library can now go into design in 2015, with a view to implementation in 2017! What a nice story. Note: Editors of Newsletter Issue #34 wish to offer an apology to PETER MOECK of Flightpath Architects in Adelaide. Peter’s surname was spelt incorrectly in the last newsletter, which was not intentional. In fact, the group present for the recent seminar all felt it would be great to have Peter visit and present his thoughts in retrospect on the best approach for the Ballarat Library. We hope to book a follow-up seminar during Phase 3: 5to3, so will liaise with Peter further to secure a date.
Libraries of the Future
IN THE BREATH OF GHOSTS During the beginning of the Ballarat International Foto Biennalle, we hosted Dr Lisa Anderson’s immersive installation ‘In the Breath of Ghosts.’ The interactive tours ended on 6th September, as planned. Ironically it was just gaining traction with attendance numbers growing as it drew to a close. Timing was a factor, given it was competing with six other festivals in Ballarat; the Core Team chose this period though because they wanted to maximise the chance of building works starting in the Main Hall. All things considered, we were reasonably pleased with the interest it evoked. Many different types of people came and enjoyed the free guided tour and marvelled at all the things to see (and hear). The hall glimmered with the projected silhouettes of women dancing each side of the stage, to hauntingly beautiful music wafting through the enormous space. For a hall that has not been used for 13 years it was an evocative reawakening. As a test event, we learnt a lot – it was a cautionary lesson as to how much is involved in staffing a show such as this. While we appear to have the physical space and basic facilities for big shows, at this moment in time we are inadequately equipped, resourced and staffed for such events; the negotiation with Council was time-consuming, and building permit requirements were difficult to navigate – we could only allow 8 people at a time – thus the potential impact of the work was limited. Furthermore, we had difficulty negotiating ticket prices and eventually ended having to make the event free at the decision of the artist. We had expected to run two test-events in this Phase, and with a ticket price and bookings, start to test the economy in Ballarat for this venue for art events. Without further building works and further support and approval by Councillors, it seems that these opportunities as part of the participatory design process will be limited in the foreseeable future. The Core Team wishes to thank the Ballarat International Foto Biennale and the City of Ballarat for supporting ‘In the Breath of Ghosts’, and especially to Lisa for her hard work, beautiful creations and persistence.
WORKING GROUPS REVIEW Back on 11th August, upstairs at Craig’s Royal Hotel, five new Civic Hall Site community working groups were formed at our User Groups Workshop, following the informative and inspiring presentation by Matt Jones, Program Manager of Federation Square in Melbourne. Groups formed of their own accord, and were open to whatever themes people wanted to put forth. The result was five groups: arts & events, green spaces, community use, library & innovation and economics. The largest cluster of people was those around the table on arts and events. This group promptly set up their own Facebook group that very evening, at https://www.facebook.com/ groups/480179782150730/?fref=ts and now meet each Monday fortnight at 6pm at Ballarista Cafe on Lydiard Street. Their next meeting is 28th September - Join them if you have an interest in making things happen. We’re not sure what progress the other four groups have made since then, but we’ve been in touch and plan to have a formal checkin with them this coming week. Please look here for updates or come in the Open Door Studio to find out more.
ONGOING OUTDOOR ARTS Marin, Linda and Ailsa have been meeting each week to brainstorm creative ideas for further site activation around the Civic Hall building, as the Spring weather warms up. Linda has some new ideas on how to engage youth and increase the visual interest around the site. More on this in Newsletter #36.
LUNCHTIME (MUSIC) ACTIVATION RETURNS To usher in the Spring season, we have ‘lunchtime music’ happening on the front plaza again. with the talented Christine Tammer. This is scheduled for 12.30pm til 1.30pm each Tuesday and Thursday from 16th September onwards, weather dependent. Other activation plans to set the scene for the warmer months include making the front plaza more welcoming for sunny day meanderings.
IN OTHER NEWS LATEST MEDIA We engage with mainstream, online and alternative media in a variety of ways. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to in the past fortnight or so in relation to the traditional print and broadcast media: 20th August, WinTV aired a 7pm news story about the process, leading with a community update referencing the 59th anniversary of the hall, followed by a few words from Ailsa on progress being made at the ‘Open Door Studio’, followed by an overview from CEO Anthony Schinck on prospects for the next six months. 26th August, WinTV aired a 7pm news story about ‘In the Breath of Ghosts’ including an interview with the artist Dr Lisa Anderson and Marg Dobson about how the work related to the space. 28th August, ABC Radio Breakfast Show, Dominic Brine interviewed Ammon. 1st September, The Courier ran a story on our ‘toxic clean-up’ based on interviews with Ammon and the CEO Anthony Schinck. 3rd September, Voice FM Radio ‘Community Voices’ Show, Allan Steinman interviewed Ailsa and Mairin. 9th September, The Courier ran a page 8 story the ‘Hall’s arthouse potential’ for a cinema in the balcony theatrette upstairs. 9th September, Voice FM Radio TAP Arts Program, POD interviewed Ailsa. 10th September, ABC Radio Breakfast Show, Dominic Brine interviewed Michelle and Ammon. 10th September, The Miner ran a page 12 story about Liana Skewes and the intent of ‘Civic Stories’ project. Time Away We all need inspiration from time to time. For that reason, it seems relevant to mention where our team members go on their holidays, because that’s often when those ‘light-bulb’ moments occur and new ideas clarify. In July, Ailsa visited the Brisbane Powerhouse arts and cultural events space and found adaptive reuse inspiration there, and also at the A & I Hall in Bangalow, Northern NSW. In August, Ammon and Michelle spent a week in Sydney gathering a range of case study material on adaptive reuse projects across Sydney. This month, our Open Door Studio architect Cait takes a break in Tasmania, while our Event Manager, Mairin Briody, flies off for over three weeks in the other big apple: Manhattan. We expect she’ll come back with some tales of hot event trends in New York City. That’s it from us for this fortnight! We hope to see you soon at the Open Door Studio
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