Re-imagining Fitzroy: Ideas for Atherton Gardens and the Town Hall Precinct
An exhibition of work by postgraduate architecture students from the Melbourne School of Design at The University of Melbourne.
Fitzroy Library, Moor St, Fitzroy
22nd August – 6th October 2008
Open 7 days (see library opening hours)
This studio focuses on the Atherton Gardens area as an exploratory exercise for architecture students to learn about urban intensification in sensitive inner-urban neighbourhoods such as Fitzroy. The project is part of the academic research and teaching activities of the university and is not associated with the Office of Housing or any other housing organisations. We are interested in community perceptions of neighbourhood character and change, particularly in the light of Melbourne 2030, hence an exhibition.
This part of Fitzroy has the potential to be very different in future, given its excellent access to public transport and the city. The students have imagined how the area might accommodate perhaps twice as many residents, a mixture of public and other types of housing, along with community, retail and commercial uses that relate to local residents' needs and those of Fitzroy more generally. A fundamental requirement the students worked with was that the design should not require any resident to leave the site. A major aim was to better integrate the site with the civic precinct around the Town Hall and the neighbourhoods around it as well as extending the Brunswick and Gertrude St retail strips. Existing community facilities would be retained and improved. The large open spaces would be replaced by networks of public streets and a range of active and passive open spaces connected to the surrounding grid of streets. Private open space would greatly increased by balconies and rooftop gardens.
The projects exhibited explore 3 broad approaches:
A: Replacing all of the high-rises in stages with low-rise buildings around a central linear 'garden' running from Gertrude St to Condell St, with community facilities and substantially increased areas of community veggie gardens.
B: Updating all 4 high-rises with large balconies and additional housing and increased community, retail and commercial facilities around their bases, with low-rise housing on the remainder of the site. A key aspect of this project is the re-organisation of the community facilities (kindergarten, veggie garden, Cubbies, soccer pitch) into a more accessible public precinct related to the Town Hall area.
C: Retaining and upgrading the 2 high-rises on Napier St. with balconies and community facilities around their bases, with low rise buildings elsewhere. A key aspect of this project is the new public plazas created in Brunswick St.
Please visit the online exhibition to see background work and video flythroughs, and leave comments on the work.