Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation
Can you visualise yourself walking through this beautiful parkland? Jump ahead to 2028 and Laak Boorndap urban garden will be a reality.
The Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation is set to redefine the cities artistic heart and public space. Collaborating with Hassell and Development Victoria, Northrop is proud to contribute to this defining project which will create a vibrant, elevated public parkland in the city centre, forming an integral part of Australia’s largest cultural infrastructure project.
From commencing sitewide masterplanning in 2018, Northrop, as part of the Hassell team have been working closely with the broader precinct teams including Reimagining Arts Centre Melbourne and National Gallery Victoria Contemporary, providing structural and civil design solutions for the elevated parkland that links the buildings across the precinct.
An 18,000 square metre, biodiverse garden recently announced Laak Boorndap, by Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Elder Aunty Gail Smith, will stand out globally for its remarkable scale, planting density, and climate resilience. The public space will link the venues across the precinct and support community well being and connection.
The entire parkland sits above a combination of new and existing elevated structures, bringing challenges in creating the desired biodiversity and varying topography to the garden, for both connection and to genuinely feel like an uninhibited space, whilst working within the capacities of the elevated structure.
Integrated stormwater management strategies between all buildings in the precinct is at the heart of the civil design and is focused on the capture, treatment and reuse of water across the whole precinct as greywater and irrigation.
James Sutherland, Melbourne Regional Manager describes the project as “an immensely challenging and rewarding project so far, working with the existing iconic buildings and collaborating with the broader precinct teams. With the naming of the garden and seeing it starting to come to life, at least in imagery makes me excited about what the space will become."
This project forms part of the wider Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation which will deliver:
• The Fox: NGV Contemporary – a new gallery dedicated to art and design
• Upgrades to Arts Centre Melbourne’s Theatres Building
• A new 18,000 square metre urban garden
Northrop are proud to be both part of the Hassell team delivering Laak Boorndap and part of the Development Victoria team delivering the precinct wide services.
We can’t wait to see this immersion of nature, art and performance come to life.
Imagery credit: Darcstudio
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