Melbourne's
Federation Square rises up above
Flinders Street Station during its construction stages.
Federation Square
is the name of Melbourne's new civic centre capable of accommodating
15,000 people in an open-air amphitheatre. The Square is a major
feature of the Melbourne skyline, having been built to serve as
a central focalpoint for the city but also to block out the ugliness
of railway lines that run through the very heart of the city. It
is situated opposite Flinders Street Station on a 3.6 hectare block
built above the Jolimont railway lines. In order for the Square
to be developed, the entirety of the Flinder Street railyway yards
had to be covered with deck comprising 3000 tonnes of steel beams,
1.4 kilometres of concrete "crash walls" and more than
4000 vibration-absorbing spring coils and rubber pads.
More important, Federation Square serves as a connecting point between
the CBD and the rapidly growing Southgate precinct and St Kilda
Road boulevard.
The Square is controversial due to its striking, but unusual, design
using large panels and claddings of sandstone, zinc and glass. It
is a strikingly modern design for a civic centre and has not found
favour with everyone. The design is that of London-based Lab architecture
studio, who won the rights for the project after an international
design competition was held in 1977.
