student assignment ::: federation square east - site analysis

SABRINA KURMANN 706297

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east site analysis

1

INTRO LOCATION LAND USE

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east Flemington

The site is called Federation Square East due its locality next to the existing Federation Square. It is located in the end of CBD between Flinders Street and Batman Avenue, close to important buildings and places, such as Flinders Station, Arts Centre, Birrarung Marr, St Paul's Cathedral, Rod Laver Arena and the Yarra River.

N

Carlton North

Parkville

Kensington

North Melbourne

Carlton

West Melbourne East Melbourne Melbourne CBD Docklands

Port Melbourne Fishermans Bend

South Wharf

Southbank

South Yarra

Melbourne City Map. Available at www.onlymelbourne.com

Mixed: Residential & Commercial

Residential

Open Space

Institutional: Sport

Commercial, mostly restaurants

Fed Square Birrarung Marr Lock Bridge

Arts Centre Rod Laver Arena

2

TIME LINE HISTORY

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east

The two maps from the website City of Melbourne www.maps.melbourne.vic.gov.au/ show how the railway lines were predominant in the city’s landscape and how Yarra River act as a strong edge. The first map is a Detailed Plan from 1895 and the second one an Aerial from 1945.

Melbourne is 1835 founded 1st Princes Bridge 1850 officially opened in Swanston St VICTORIA

Gold is discovered 1852 in Victoria

1878 Queen Victoria Market 1891 St Paul’s Cathedral 1901 Australia becomes a nation

The first railway is 1854 established New Princes Bridge 1888 is opened

1929 Spencer St Bridge

First electric tram

1906

1958 First skyscraper in Melbourne: ICI House

Flinders St Station

1906

1985 Melbourne Cricket Ground 1986 Underground Rail Loop completed (city loop) 2000 Melbourne Museum 2002 Birrarung Marr 2002 Federation Square

Princes Bridge

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St Paul’s Cathedral

Arts Centre 1984 Melbourne completed National Tennis 1985 Centre in Melbourne Park SouthGate 1989 Footbridge (Lock Bridge) Flinders St Station competition winner is announced 2013 Flinders St Station

SouthGate footbridge

Melbourne Park

Fed Square

Flinders St Station competition

Chinatown Precinct

3

Greek Precinct

LANDMARKS DISTRICTS

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east

2 Crown Cassino

1 0

3 Eureka Tower

6

5

Restaurant Precinct

Sports Precinct

4 3

12 7

2 5 Flinders St Station

6 Federation Square

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Art Precinct

11 10 Eureka Tower MeBank

7 Arts Centre

8 Residential Building

9 Sydney Myer Music Bowl

Flinders Station

Arts Centre

10 Government House

11 AAMI Park

12 MCG

100m 200m

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Cultural Precinct

4 SouthGate footbridge

Parks Precinct

N

The site is hugely surrounded by precincts and landmarks. The mainly precinct that has primary inuence is Federation Square and the Yarra Precinct located at Birrarung Marr. The map shows how the culture, art and sport is extremely connected to the site. Moreover, the neighbourhood is vastly occupied with notable landmarks that ensure good views from the site and to the site.

1 MeBank skyscraper

Yarra Precinct

St Paul’s Cathedral Fed Square

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east TRANSPORT ACCESS

CONNECTIONS

4

North Suburbs

N

North Suburbs

North Suburbs Sydney East Suburbs

West Suburbs Geelong

LEGEND Residential Anchor

Intense car flow Pedestrian flow

Cultural Anchor

Tram network Tram stop

Open Space Anchor

Access from the road 0

50m

100m

200m

South Suburbs Beaches

East Suburbs Sports

5

CIRCULATION N O D E S, P A T H S EDGES

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east The site is located next to Batman Avenue, a road with intense traffic that connects the CBD and the sports precinct and allows the circulation of pedestrian, bicycles, trams and cars. This road is also the main access to Birrarung Marr which has intense traffic of bicycles in conflict with pedestrians and people practicing sports. The location also incorporates many nodes, such as Federation Square.

1 “Angel” sculpture

3 1

2 Footbrigde

3 Playground

4

2

4 Federation Bells

N

LEGEND Pedestrian Bicycle Tourists (bus & tram) Car Car parking Edges Nodes Bicycle not allowed Stairway [not accessible]

3 4 1

TOPOGRAPHY DRAINAGE

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MICROCLIMATE

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east

Rainwater path

One of the sustainable strategies used in Federation Square was the storage of rainwater. All the water used for irrigation is from the rainwater tank localized in the site, next to the car parking. The topography is characterized by sloping ground which can be an issue for accessibility. The slope tends to be higher towards CBD, what guarantee good views to the site. Although Fed Square has few green areas, it has a efďŹ cient drainage system.

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2 1 Rainwater tanks

3

3 Rainwater path

1

Melbourne is a city famous for its changeable weather.

The difference of temperature between day and night is notable and can be used as a sustainable strategy to avoid the use of air conditioning like used in Federation Square. The dominant wind during the cold winter is from south while the summer is characterized by the mainly incidence of winds from north. The map also show that although the majority of paths in the CBD are shaded, the mainly roads next to the site do not have enough trees or buildings to create shade for the pedestrians.

4

4

0

50m 100m

200m

N

(source: www.yourhome.gov.au)

4

W

LEGEND Solar Path Summer dominant wind Winter dominant wind Shaded pedestrian route Excessive shade Excessive solar incidence Comfortable solar incidence

E

1 2

7

GREEN AREAS VEGETATION TREE SPECIE

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east

4

Platanus / London Plane Corymbia / Lemon Scented Gum

3 4

Quercus / Oaks Eucalyptus

5 6

Ulmus / Elms Other

Tree Genus Map (source: www.maps.melbourne.vic.gov.au)

The maps show the big diversity of trees in the site and its expected lives. The trees at Flinders St are predominantly Platanus.

1

6 Ficus

3

Casuarina

6 Phoenix Palm

5

2

Liquidambar

Ficus

Phoenix Palm

Cinnamomum

N

0

100m 200m

LEGEND Green Areas Map Green area Direct connection [safe] Indirect connection [crossing the road] Indirect connection [through the road]

More than 20 years [healthy] Less than 20 years [at risk]

Less than 10 years [declining] Less than 5 years [dying]

Unknown

Useful Tree Life Expectancy Map (source: www.melbourneurbanforestvisual.com.au)

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5 SENSES

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east 1. SIGHT The mainly good vistas are from the “Angel” sculpture, such as the Arts Centre and the Bridge. There are also north views if you look from a higher point.

1

2

3

2. SOUND In the site, you can hear a lot of noises& sounds: temporary like the church bells or constant noises as the bicycle traffic.

4

3

1

3. SMELL The mainly odors you can smell in the site are some flowers, trees like the Citronella and also the restaurants and cafes around it.

3

8

5 4

2

8

6

10

14

9

12

17 19

6

9

13 11

16

5

18 15

7

7

10

1

20

4. TOUCH As materiality, the site is full of different textures and colours that give a lot of opportunities to the site and make the visitor experience the diversity.

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12

13

14

16

15

17

18

5. TASTE Close to the site there is the re s t a u r a n t s p re c i n c t along the Yarra River.

Furthermore, Fed Square host Cultural food events commonly.

19

20

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PROBLEMS

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east 1. The first problem noticed was the insufficient bicycle parking or simply the inefficient use of the existing ones. Moreover, the circulation of bikes is restricted in Federation Square.

3.

Federation Square is considered an “Urban Square” and because of that, it has almost no tree. Although it facilitates the creation of open spaces and allowed the use of the big screen, the Square can be really hot during the summer day. Another problem is the block in the corner that breaks the continuity of the open space, ruins the CBD vista and can be a visual pollution.

5. Federation Square hosts a lot of cultural events through the year that attracts a crowd of people every event. Although it is a good thing about the place, the site is not enough for the quantity of people. It is hard to even walk in some of the events.

6. The sports precinct is responsible for huge events every year.

Sometimes some events happen at the same time, what makes the traffic intense in the end of a game and a concert, for instance.

At Flinders St, for instance, the bicycle is not allowed in the sidewalk and it has not exclusive bicycle path in the road. Instead, there is car parking. Inside Barrirung Marr, the bicycle circulation is in conflict with the pedestrians.

2. The site was not very clean, mainly in the peripheral areas. This can happen due the absence of enough bins and/or pedestrian education.

4.

Most of the main accesses to Federation Square and Birrarung Marr are stairways. Although the slope ground was probably primordial to this decision, the intense use of big stairs does not make the site totally accessible as it should be. This strategy can also be an issue for the bicycle circulation.

Federation Square is considered accessible in theory, but it does not seem accessible in practical. The tiles used for the open square are irregular and does not show a clear path to the wheelchair.

7. The construction of a new residential building in front of the railway ended with the possibility of the green areas connection. Moreover, the Batman Av. is considered a strong edge that can be a new barrier for the project.

8. Another issue is the tram stop in front of the site that breaks a possible future connection. Furthermore, the continuation of Russell St and the car park are current edges that will difficult the connection between the site and Fed Square.

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OPPORTUNITIES

F E D E R A T I O N S Q U A R E east 1. FED SQUARE IDEAS

2.2

8. RELAX 1.1

1.1 Interactive big screen 1.2 Flexible sitting space 1.3 Multi cultural events 1.4 Study space & wi-fi

8.1 Family ambience 8.2 Places to rest

2.1

4.2

3.1

1.2

2. PROTEST 2.1 Open spaces 2.2 Place for protest posters

3.2

1.2

3.4

1.4

1.3

4.1

7. VISTAS 7.1 Sunset 7.2 City skyline 4.3

3.3

5.2

6. CONNECTION 6.1 Site & Fed Square 6.2 Green areas 5.1

5.2

3. SUSTAINABILITY

5. ART

3.1 Accessibility 3.2 Solar Energy

5.1 Sculpture

3.3 Rainwater tanks 3.4 Vegetation

7.2

5.2 Graffiti / Hosier Lane & AC/DC Lane continuity

6.2

5.2

5.3 Personal Painting / Kids workshop

7.1

7.1

6.1

5.3

8.2

8.1

4. SPORT 4.1 Respect current activities 4.2 Space to all types of activities / circulation 4.3 Outdoor gym

706297 SABRINA KURMANN