FORM section of the March 2013 Adelaide Review

the adelaide REVIEW march 2013

FORM DESIGN

PLANNING

INNOVATION

The Depot, Photo: Sam Noonan Photographer

Australian Institute of Landscape Architects

the arts architect Steve Grieve talks major new Fringe hub The Depot and other arts projects

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behind the scenes Review of book, Behind the Scenes, about the politics of planning Adelaide

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fab lab Australia’s first fabrication laboratory opened in Adelaide last year

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the adelaide REVIEW March 2013

form

The arts architect With new Fringe venue The Depot, architect Steve Grieve continues his three-decade career of combining two loves – the arts and architecture.

The Depot

David Knight

containers really effectively to define space. Not

“He’s [Vrynois] been able to bring in an array of

Grieve says completing jobs that combine the

only are you building walls and defining spaces but

different people. The graphic designers, fashion

ince moving to Adelaide from Sydney in

arts and architecture, such as Glenside’s recent

also you’ve got all these containers that you can use

industry people and all these different food stalls. He’s

1978, Steve Grieve, Director of Grieve-

Adelaide Studios for the South Australian Film

for storage. It makes sense. There were a number

got connections with those guys and brought them

Gillett, has been a major part of the arts

Corp and the new home for the Adelaide Central

of things we looked at but shipping containers

in and made them all work together, which is great.”

fabric of Adelaide. He has been involved

School of Art, which is in the same precinct, is

were readily available and a logical thing to use. It

The Depot has been able to tap into different

“enriching and important”.

certainly has a connection back to Red Square but

communities by hosting the food truck expo

it’s certainly not based on Red Square, as such.”

Fork on the Road as well as pop up stalls such

S

in major arts projects such as the Lions Art Centre,

You just develop an interest and get involved.”

The Depot

Tandanya, JamFactory and Adelaide Studios, as

“I happen to enjoy being involved with the

well as Fringe and Festival venues such as Adelaide

arts, so the projects we tend to do are involved

Grieve Gillett joined The Depot project after David

as Bar 9 and Cantina. Then there are the nightly

Festival’s infamous Red Square for the 96 Festival.

with that. But we, Grieve Gillett, do a lot of

O’Sullivan rang Grieve to say he was part of a group

local and national bands and events such as

Red Square influenced new major Fringe venue

infrastructure projects; railway stations, lots of

interested in developing the former Franklin St bus

Colourpalooza. This sense of bringing together

The Depot, an open-air hub located on the site of

stuff in the public realm, work in universities,

depot into a multi-purpose arts venue.

different communities is an important part of what

the old Franklin St bus depot.

I’m working on the new hospital, so they are

Grieve, who was recently named the AIA

typically in the public realm.”

“He knew of my involvement in earlier Fringe

makes arts venues work, according to Grieve.

and Festival projects over the years such as Red

“No matter if you are in the city, the country

Square and things like that. He sent me a brief

or wherever, to get arts venues to work, and I

and invited me to have a discussion about it.”

think The Depot fulfills this, it must have a multi-

President (SA Chapter), joined the Fringe board last

The Depot, an open-air Fringe venue that hosts

year. He was the Chair of Country Arts SA for six

entertainment facilities, bars, pop-up food stalls and

years and a Director of Regional Arts Australia, as

more, continues the Red Square tradition of using

Grieve invited two of his younger staff members,

faceted appeal. It must appeal to different groups

well as a participant on a host of other arts boards.

shipping containers to build walls and define space.

Dino Vrynois and Jessica MacDonald, to join him

in our community, so they all go to one place for

“It’s a sense of community responsibility,” Grieve

“There’s a connection in that we used shipping

for the discussion, as they had their “fingers on the

different reasons but then they intermingle and

explains about his arts affiliations. “Why do people

containers at Red Square and basically that’s

pulse”. Vrynois is now deeply embedded in the

cross-pollinate. Location is really important, as

stand for parliament? Why do people join councils?

because they were cheap. You can use shipping

project as The Depot’s Creative Manager.

well as the connection to different communities.”

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the adelaide REVIEW March 2013

53

form Book Review: Adelaide city planning politics follow a fascinating historical trail

of the book is preoccupied with the changing cast of players on the city planning stage during that period, and their effect on the evolution of planning tools, technicalities, and the strategic and statutory complexities.

To add more colourful thread to the weave, in

John Bridgland

recent years (2007 to 08) the author undertook the

H

“If we go back to the early 80s, it was

ere’s a new Adelaide resource that pulls together the technical and sometimes volatile political threads of town planning during a specific period and is a significant historical reference. This book would be useful for any South Australian curious to know how our inner city’s older as well as more contemporary fabric was shaped. Decisive political and bureaucratic tussles were played out, particularly between the period 1972 and 1993, and continue to shape government policy within the city’s boundaries today.

either the Fringe or the Festival where

In the case of this work, what was originally

appropriate, may have been more readable had it

it happened. It was one of the other. In

a 2010 University of Adelaide doctoral history

instead focused on a narrative based on themes.

some ways the Fringe started to be the

thesis has now been edited into a book by the

But to pay his due, the author does end chapters

focal point of that March period for quite

University of Adelaide Press.

Red Square

Grieve believes that Adelaide can host three major Fringe and Festival hubs (Barrio, the Garden of Unearthly Delights and now The Depot) over the Mad March period, not forgetting other venues such as Tuxedo Cat, Arcade Lane and Gluttony.

challenging task of interviewing 47 participants 20 years after that period, including ex-premiers and ministers, mayors and deputies, and key planning advisors and bureaucrats. Some provide fascinating insights; the ‘in-hindsight’ recollections add a deeper perspective.

The work is not without flaws. Hints of the academic tone remain, an unavoidable result when a thesis has been the original source. However, the interviews lighten it up.

The historical chronological approach, while

with brief summaries, and concludes the book

One final observation – still on the theme

a while from 84 to the mid-90s and really

The author, Dr Michael Llewellyn-Smith

with a distillation of key planning principles.

of cycles. A number of key Adelaide planning

Red Square gave the Festival its big focal

AM, brings exceptional credentials. UK born,

For any city observer who has been snared

decision-makers appear to have been employed

success, in my view. It appeared there

but Sydney-based when this personal story

in the sticky politics of the past two decades’

in cycles, and Dr Llewellyn-Smith, who worked

was only enough audience for one or the

begins, he moved to Adelaide in 1974 to become

iterations of city development plans, from

separately from council for about 18 years, is

other. From 96 onwards the audiences were

the city council’s first city planner, a new role

high-level investors, architects and developers

now back – this time as Deputy Lord Mayor

building and you could sustain two focal

that was to mould council and government

to city residents objecting to small and quirky

and, until late last year, a council member of

points and they could co-exist. After Red

planning policy and procedural development

developments just beyond their boundaries, one

the influential council-government Capital City

Square the Festival had the Squeeze Box

in Australia’s ‘Athens of the South’. Between

principle is perhaps the most sobering. “Planning

Committee. And the city council is pondering

then the Persian Garden and now Barrio

1977 and 1981 he also was a commissioner

is a political tool, not a technical process.”

whether to re-create an old role and employ

and they’ve all been really successful. The

of the powerful City of Adelaide Planning

At the December 2012 book release, launched

audiences are built, so Adelaide can sustain

Commission and between 1982 to 1993 he was

by Lord Mayor Stephen Yarwood – a former

a much larger arts festival audience. Now

the council’s town clerk (the equivalent of chief

professional planner who confessed he had

we’ve got the Garden, Barrio and The Depot

executive today). He was thus an insider par

not yet read it – he concluded: “I also want to

as three different focal points and they’ll be

excellence, and the book’s title is not overstated.

say that I’m sure we’ve been writing our own

Consistent with his original objective, there

chapters in the last few months and years and

is historical research on Adelaide’s early years

those stories will continue for ever and ever,

Behind the scenes – The politics of planning Adelaide

from about 1840 and the century that followed,

and ever.” Considering the profound changes

‘An insider’s account of the history of the City of

but the work then moves quickly to the 1960s and

made to the city plan by the state government

Adelaide and of City/State relations from 1972–1993’.

particularly to the period 1972 to 1992 when the

with the concurrence of his council in 2012, his

Dr Michael Llewellyn-Smith AM

council had its own planning and development

observation confirms another of the author’s

University of Adelaide Press.

the-depot.com.au

control policies and legislation. It was matter

key themes: “Planning is also a continuous

Paperback $50; PDF download free.

grievegillett.com.au

that induced ‘creative tension’ between local

process, with cycles of information, investigation,

adelaide.edu.au/press

and state government during those years. Much

decision, action and review...”

others that grow and develop.”

another chief city planner, after many years without one. Clearly, there’s a need.

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54

the adelaide REVIEW March 2013

form

Absolutely fab

an extended trial and error period, which although necessary was often considered a luxury curtailed by both time and cost.

The FDM technology utilised by Fab Lab Adelaide’s 3D printers may give the printed object’s

Leanne Amodeo

form relatively good definition, but the result is business goal. The provision of opportunities for

quite crude. Designers will still need to send their

delaide’s creative industries continue

local creative communities, however, has been in

prototypes elsewhere for final manufacturing, which

to thrive due in large part to the strong

place from day one.

often takes place offshore. Retaining at least part of

A

sense of kinship and collaboration that

Fab Lab Adelaide’s available resources include

exists in the city’s many creative hubs. From the

a laser cutter, milling machine, vinyl cutter and a

the manufacturing process onshore, however, will

long-established Gray Street Workshop to the

selection of 3D printers – the 3D Touch, UP! and

It may very well only be a matter of time before

newly formed artist-run-initiative Fontanelle,

three MakerBot Thing-O-Matics. These printers

3D printing technology evolves to include rapid

these studios and galleries are vibrant breeding

are extrusion types that use fused deposition

manufacturing, so that the final manufacture of

grounds for experimentation and innovation.

modelling (FDM) to create a three-dimensional

small-scale objects and small parts also rests with

That they are underscored by a strong sense of

object from a digital model, which involves plastic

the designer. Architect Janjaap Ruijssenaars of

community goes a long way in guaranteeing their

being melted via a motorised mechanism and then

Amsterdam-based architecture practice Universe

ongoing growth and the far-reaching success of

laid down in successive layers. The technology

Architecture recently announced plans to construct

many of their affiliated artists and designers. So

behind these 3D printers is impressive and is made

an entire house using a 3D printer. The D-Shape

when a new kid appears on the block that can

all the more expedient by their free and open

can produce sections measuring up to 6 x 9 metres

benefit both hubs and practitioners alike it’s well

source software (FOSS). “This means that their

in size and the house, with a proposed completion

worth standing up and paying attention.

source code is made open and freely available,”

date of 2014, is in the form of a Mobius strip. In this

This new kid goes by the name of Fab Lab Adelaide

says Marsh. “And therefore people from all

respect 3D printing may very well have implications

and it has been in operation since November 2012.

over the world can contribute to enhancing and

for the construction industry as well.

Funded by the South Australian Government’s

evolving the printers’ functionality.”

still prove to be cost effective.

Fab Lab Adelaide might not have the capacity

Department of Further Education, Employment,

Designers that use Fab Lab Adelaide’s 3D

for the scale of construction made possible by the

Science and Technology (DFEEST) and managed

printers are able to rapid prototype small-scale

D-Shape, but what remains its most valuable asset is

by ANAT, it is housed in a modest-sized space of

objects and parts at a much faster rate and with

its accessibility. Designers, artists, hobbyists, small

the Adelaide College of the Arts. In an exciting coup

much less expense. Whereas once upon a time

businesses and students alike can benefit from the

for Adelaide it is the first fabrication laboratory in

prototyping was handmade by a manufacturer

technologies on offer. And, in fact, what defines

Australia and as such belongs to an international

who charged accordingly, designers are now

the global Fab Lab network is an ethos of sharing

network of over 100 fab labs, first founded in

able to do it themselves using 3D printers that are

and collaboration. It lends any Fab Lab in the

the US by Professor Neil Gershenfeld from the

the size of desktop printers. For designers this

world creative strength at a grassroots level and

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

basically removes the often lengthy and costly

for Adelaide; this means the potential for further

As a free-access community workshop, Fab Lab

production process and allows them greater scope

experimentation and innovation amongst its many

Adelaide offers small businesses and individuals’

for experimentation. It’s an incredibly appealing

creative hubs and practitioners.

digital fabrication on a personal scale. “We’re still

proposition that not only has the potential to

a model in development because we started from

change the face of the manufacturing industry,

scratch,” explains ANAT and Fab Lab Adelaide

but that places more emphasis on the designer’s

manager Karen Marsh. “But it’s a model that can

actual creative process. With the possibility for

be replicated throughout Australia.” DFEEST’s

numerous iterations and countless revisions, the

initial funding is for six months only and so

romantic notion that there is increased freedom

achieving long term sustainability is the current

during the creative process translates practically into

fablabadelaide.org.au

ARTIST IMPRESSION

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the adelaide REVIEW March 2013

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