Flinders Street Station Urban Design Competition

Social, economic and environmental balance.

This entry for the Flinders Street Station design competition was completed in collaboration with BG Architects. The primary concept is to create an elevated, linear park over the rail platforms, to connect the existing heritage building and this part of the city with the river.

The main entrance to the park is designated as a Place of the First Peoples, to acknowledge and explore a complete history of this place.  An Open Learning Environment, supported by Retail and Restaurant facilities, will provide high levels of 24/7 activity along the river front.

The inclusion of a sheltered open-air pool and recreation centre also provides a strong urban attractor and activates the previously locked, southern side of the existing heritage building. A void of 6 metres between the park and the heritage building creates a street-like, respectful distance while maintaining a symbiotic connection to rail administration at concourse level and retail and hospitality functions at Park level.

The architecture on the southern boundary is deliberately low, in order to maintain views through from the heritage building across to the south bank of the river. Undulating edges and incisions between the built forms allow light to leak through to the pedestrian river-walk and cycleway at different times of the day. This rhythm of light and shade is considered critical to the unique qualities of this multi-level, linear park

The mixed-use tower, with residential, retail, commercial and educational occupants, extends above the podium; providing an anchor-community of the scale necessary to fund and sustain social, cultural and economic activities within the precinct.

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