As I watched Federation Square (the so-called Centre of Melbourne, despite being right on the edge) take shape over the years, I hated it. I laughed at those angles and predicted it would look horridly out of date long before construction finished. I’m pretty sure most of Melbourne was on my side.
Here we are a few years later, and the people love it. I’m at least very fond of it. I’m not sure if I’ve grown to love it, or just grown accustomed to it, but Fed Square feels as much a part of Melbourne as meeting under the clocks, this thing, this thing or even these guys.
I have an immense amount of respect for the architects – just being able to visualize something as complex and non-conforming as these buildings is worthy of praise.
So, take a look at the images and tell me what you think. Art or Ugly? Timeless or Dated? Impressive or Imperfect?
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Well, I’m a Melburnian and I LOVE it. I was there just a few nights for Cory Doctorow’s talk and was reminded of how well the space functions. It’s that, I guess, that’s changed people’s minds about it.
Check the web cam: http://federationsquare.com.au/index.cfm?pageID=55
It succeeds and fails in different ways. On a 40C summer day, it’s bloody horrible: there’s no shade. What kind of architect designs a public space in Australia without shade? One who doesn’t live here. And places like ACMI don’t seem to be well, very much inviting to sit and loiter and just be. In some ways it’s too big, cold, hard and unyielding to be a people-friendly place.
But people, including me, are drawn to it. Probably because it’s different, interesting, challenging. And there’s colour and texture, natural texture, unlike the mandatory GREY of damn near every other public place in Melbourne. That’s probably a big part of it.
And also because Arintji has the best coffee and muffins and long wooden outdoor tables to consume them at. You ever want to meet at 10:15am for a coffee, I’m there.
So yeah, on balance I like it. Provided the ambient temperature isn’t over 30C.
Now, you wanna talk about how monumentally disappointing the Spencer St station redevelopment is?
It looked so barren when it was first built. The earthy colours just made it look like a desert.
Thankfully the businesses have moved in and the amount of people taking advantage of the wide open space gives it much more life. However, it’s still not my cup of tea.
As a Melbournian I think it’s good in that it did what it I suppose it was meant to do: become the centre of Melbourne in terms of events and whatnot. How does it look? To me I like it, and I hope it doesn’t quickly look outdated.
Where can I find a demo of joyent before signing up?
It succeeds so well on inner beauty, I seldom ponder that it looks like a pile of scrap. Though looking back at those pictures, it doesn’t seem as jarring as it once did.
Every time I come down to Melbourne I visit Federation Square.
I was never that fussed with how it looks – although I understand how others can see it as ugly.
I do really like it as a public space – and it’s often my default response for “in the city, want to grab a drink, where shall we go?” – although I’ve not been to Arintji that Andrew’s mentioned – will have to check that out.
And I quite like the rolling roof of Spencer St – I’m just annoyed that because of the Commonwealth games they decided to do a patchy, hurried job to finish it.
Wow, I didn’t we had that many “Melbournites” hanging around Joyent. We should all go grab a drink!
Let’s go to one of those trendy places in Fed Square!
I ended up at Arintji briefly tonight – can’t comment on the coffee and muffins, but their hot chocolates are fantastic.