The Waterfront

As Melbourne grows, so too does the need to maintain and celebrate the integrity and memory of what makes Melbourne, Melbourne (Birrarung Ga). One-hundred thousand people have moved to Melbourne every year over the last four years. This has put pressure on issues of public space, housing, affordability, climate and civic participation at the centre, and at the edge, of Melbourne, where most of the new population resides.

This studio zooms into Birrarung (Yarra River) and the changing relationship of the city to the river, which has been radically altered through occupation, agriculture, construction, industry, urban expansion and pollution. Birrarung, is one of many urban rivers under pressure across the world, despite the vital ecological, cultural and recreational value they offer.

In the context of Melbourne’s recent and rapid growth, the aim of this studio is to focus on celebrating our identities and cultures. Students will undertake a masterplan to reconsider and reconnect with the river and identify sites for a cultural building, which they will then design.

A cultural building is to be considered in its broadest sense: a gathering place to consume and create culture, a platform where people meet and exchange ideas, or a place to come together to share beliefs. Students will create their own brief and design protocols for the building in response to design research through mapping and class exercises as well as independent study.