Awards:
Property Council of Australia Award: Overall Winner 2005
Urban Land Institute Award for Excellence: Asia Pacific 2005
RAIA National Awards, Walter Burley Griffin Award for Urban Design 2003
RAIA Victorian Chapter Awards: Victorian Architecture Medal, The Melbourne Prize, Urban Design Award and Institutional – New Architecture Award 2003
Transport
As an iconic building, Transport has a dual role in design terms. It creates a distinctive southern entry marker to both Federation Square and Melbourne city, with functional roles for the Square by providing the south-western enclosure, support to the large outdoor LED screen and important wind protection for the terraces.
The two components of the building are a crystalline volume, formed by the perforated screen façade, embedded into a zinc clad “shard”. The aluminium screen creates a virtual form through shadows by day and by emitting light at night. The perforations and openings formed in the façade create a differentiation around its elevations, acting as sun-shading, weather protection and focusing the internal views. The use of the perforated screen visually links this building with other elements of Federation Square.
Federation Square
Federation Square is an imaginative vision of urban life. This is a city precinct that consolidates cultural, recreational and commercial activities along the river while maintaining real links to Melbourne’s adjoining cultural and commercial districts.
Federation Square includes three buildings: The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, dedicated entirely to the works of Australian artists; the Cinemedia Centre, which houses the new SBS studios and the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, providing facilities and performance venues for film and multimedia; and the Atrium, which offers a unique, all-year round weather protected space extending from Flinders Street to the banks of the Yarra River.
LAB + Bates Smart Architects won the second stage design competition and were appointed as joint architects and interior designers for the project, one of the most challenging complexes ever built in Australia. Bates Smart provided design development, documentation and quality control services through its principals and senior professionals who were dedicated throughout the duration of the project. The controversial, yet widely acclaimed group of buildings has quickly won a place in the Melbourne environment, exceeding all expectations for visitation during its first months.
In keeping with LAB + Bates Smart Architects desire to use new innovative technologies the team contacted Sapphire for assistance with finishes on the Aluminium Screens and a new colour was developed from Sapphire’s Spectral range of finishes. The finish Titanium was selected due to it’s excellent resistance to weathering given the project is a long term investment by the government of Victoria for the people of Victoria for many decades to come.
Joint Venture Bates Smart + LAB Architecture Studio
Source : Fedsquare.com & Bates Smart
Premier of Victoria’s Welcome
Federation Square is a central and unifying public space, a landmark and a cultural magnet bringing together open spaces and innovative architecture and engineering. Comprising an entire city block, Federation Square’s creative mix of attractions that embody all that is great about Victoria fine art, hospitality, bold design, innovation and vibrant events.
Located at Melbourne’s front door, Federation Square provides a logical base from which you can discover the city’s many delights: shopping, parks and gardens, arts, sports and entertainment. Meet your friends there or stroll through the Square to admire the views of the city and the Yarra River.
The Victorian Government is proud to have realised this enormously complex and ambitious development. Whether you are a Victorian or one of our many visitors, you cannot help but feel that Federation Square is now one of the world’s great places.
The Hon. John Brumby
Premier of Victoria
