Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 153 February 2017 i Landscape Architecture Australia

Recipient Holly Peacock Program Bachelor of Design (Honours) (Landscape Architecture), Queensland University of Technology PROJECT STATEMENT The Swanbank site in Ipswich, Queensland stands at the end of an era, that of industrialization, energy production and deep-cut coal mining excavation. This project reflects the natural succession of forgotten sites, and the entire energy industry, toward that of renewable energy. The site’s power station is to become the catalyst for embracing new forms of energy through an acceptance of the past and celebrating the future. Left in the wake of this industrial era are remnant artefacts that serve as instruments of memory and the evocation of a lost heritage. These remaining elements take on a new layer of productive use, a kinetic reprogramming that looks at creating experiences out of these individual…

Recipient Max Ka Fai Chan Program Master of Landscape Architecture, Deakin University PROJECT STATEMENT Barwon Paper Mill is spectacularly located on an escarpment valley of the Barwon River in Geelong, Victoria. It is a significant heritage site, being home to a water turbine. The existing site is underutilized, isolated and privately operated, lacking public transportation and cross-river connections. This project seeks to reveal community narratives and the history of the land, to create pedestrian and cycle connections across the site and to provide the adjoining growing residential communities with much-needed social infrastructure and facilities. Activation of the paper mill through various programs and activities will also provide a destination for the wider Geelong community, show casing the natural setting and cultural heritage. The design concept has three main focuses: programs,…

Nanjing Tangshan Geopark Museum Public Realm, Nanjing, China Hassell The low, wooded mountain ranges surrounding the Chinese city of Nanjing are rich in geological deposits from the earth’s Palaeozoic era and subsequently have a history of significant archaeological findings. This includes the 1993 discovery of Homo erectus nankinensis fossils (a subspecies of Homo erectus) dubbed Nanjing Man. Taking heed of the site’s fascinating geological formations, the sweeping, layered design of the Nanjing Tangshan Geopark Museum appears as an extension of the existing topography’s contours. The geology and anthropology museum, designed by French architecture practice Studio Odile Decq, has been built into the face of an ancient quarry and the public domain, designed by Hassell, seamlessly extends into the surrounding parkland. Attesting the area’s historical importance, Hassell’s scheme honours the site’s…

Brisbane Ferry Terminals, Brisbane, Queensland Aurecon, Cox Architecture, Lat27 When devastating floods hit Brisbane in 2011 a significant amount of infrastructure was destroyed, prompting the Queensland Government to hold a design competition for the replacement of damaged ferry terminals. While the project was initially about simply replacing infrastructure, it also provided an opportunity to achieve greater flood resilience, improved accessibility, compliance with disability standards, increased network efficiency and an enhanced connection with the river. Aurecon and Cox Rayner Architects (now Cox Architecture) won the design competition for the Brisbane ferry terminals renewal project (the winning consortium originally also included Derlot), and completed eight new terminals from 2011 to 2016. Lat27 collaborated on the landscape architecture and public realm design, with Brisbane City Council as the client for these components. Delivering…

Eschatology has historically been defined as the theological study of End Times and the related themes of death, judgement and the final destiny of the human soul. Academic Naomi Stead made this the focus of her contribution as a panellist at the 2016 International Festival of Landscape Architecture conference, and in doing so provided a fitting lens through which to make sense of the event. By questioning what landscape architecture might need to be in the age of the Anthropocene, this year’s conference, entitled Not in my Backyard, resembled a secular exercise in prophesying the status of the profession at the end of time. In Cape Town, South Africa in late 2016, a group of experts presented a recommendation to the International Geological Congress for the declaration of a new…

In October 2016 UN member states, including Australia, committed to implementing the New Urban Agenda in a landmark agreement at the Habitat III summit in Quito, Ecuador. This is an unprecedented global call to action for governments at all levels, urban professionals, the private sector, civil society, academics and local communities to work to make our cities more inclusive and sustainable over the next twenty years. Habitat III is a bi-decennial event that caps off five years of international discussions led by the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-Habitat). It has resulted in the adoption of a new global strategy for cities, outlined in the New Urban Agenda. More than thirty thousand people gathered in Quito to support the process. The formal government negotiations were surrounded by hundreds of side…

Recipient Surong Sun Program Master of Landscape Architecture, The Universityof Adelaide PROJECT STATEMENT With the rapid development of cities, urban spaces are eroding the so-called natural realm and leaving “fault areas,” including defunct urban structures, architecture, cultural remnants and human traces. This project identifies the “faults” and attempts to use them to revitalize the landscape, rather than seeing them as problems that need remediation. The “deconstructivist” generation of the projects suggests that staging would be possible without compromising the design intentions. The “fault” technique also encourages us to rethink the relationships between humans, nature and the urban environment. Chiaroscuro is the contrasting of light and shade, black and white, and is often used in artworks to model three-dimensional forms with dramatic effect. Fault: Little Para Central Park attempts to apply…

Recipient Junya Jenny Yu Program Master of Landscape Architecture, The University of Melbourne PROJECT STATEMENT Given that the majority of the factors generating China’s pollution – such as the burning of brown coal and emissions from cars and factories – lie outside the influence of landscape architecture, how can designers engage with this serious issue in the design of contemporary open space in Chinese cities? This question formed the provocation for the project Polluted Cities, which focuses on the design of a new residential district for the Daxing District, Beijing. Through the testing of the relationships between wind direction, wind speed and residential block configurations, a spatial framework that encourages the best possible atmospheric condition was established. Intent then shifted to the scale of inhabitation, beginning with an interrogation of…

Novartis: Medicinal Maze Inveiling Glass, Sydney, New South Wales Janet Laurence While the practice of making public art has moved far beyond the historical limits of monuments, modernist icons and heroes on horses, our understanding of how to consider and include art in public spaces hasn’t always kept pace with the shifting forms that define the practice. The traps of expectation that often catch relate to a dated idea of what public art should be, one that has yet to move beyond the concept of public art as a static, detached object and toward the potential for integration and engagement. The role of public or site-specific art often resides in a conflicted place in the psyche of those involved in the creation of public spaces. It is still, in some…

Roberto Burle Marx (1909–1994) is universally heralded as one of the twentieth century’s greatest landscape architects and an expert horticulturalist. His understanding of Brazilian flora was so deep that it is said he only used plants native to Brazil in making his landscapes. Alas, this statement is misleading. In April 2016 I had the privilege of spending the weekend at the Fazenda Vargem Grande outside Areias, an extensive and marvellous garden on the site of a former coffee plantation (1979–1990), designed by Burle Marx. Disposed on three levels and animated by a continuous flow of water issuing from a spring higher on the hillside, the garden is incredibly rich in its colours and textures and equally intricate in its selection of plants. Although I had seen almost two dozen Burle…

VICTORIA PARK, SYDNEY UPGRADE Victoria Park, a 9.2-hectare park in inner-Sydney, will receive a major upgrade in 2017. The design, led by Johnson Pilton Walker (JPW), includes the upgrade of lighting to improve night-time safety and enable major events, new plants, paving and signs along City Road, and new seats, table tennis facilities and practice netball courts. Northam Lake in the centre of Victoria Park will receive new stormwater filters and more wetland plants to improve water quality. The park includes an important walking route for people in the Camperdown, Glebe, Darlington and Chippendale areas and also hosts events, including the Mardi Gras Fair Day, Yabun Festival, Picnic in the Park and Soulfest. Work is due to begin in early 2017. Photo: Courtesy of City of Sydney JPW.COM.AU ACLAND STREET,…

Recipient Martin Woodbine Program Master of Landscape Architecture, RMIT University PROJECT STATEMENT NGV.SK frames shifts in time and movement of materiality through the exploration of a new type of gallery space – a performance landscape curated by a series of artists. These frames start to form new space where adaptive and existing ecology can develop through the interaction of challenging coastal and transient landscapes. NGV.SK is a comment on a changing and dynamic world and how we can adapt to constant flux. Melbourne’s St Kilda breakwater and foreshore, just outside the mouth of the Yarra River, set the stage for the gallery to capture the ever-changing qualities of Port Phillip Bay and the urban construct adjacent. NGV.SK is proposed as a partnership between the CSIRO and Creative Victoria – the…

Recipient Rhys Probert Program Bachelor of Design/Bachelor of Landscape Architecture, University of Canberra PROJECT STATEMENT This project opens the currently unused space surrounding the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex Project to visitors of the centre. Adding a cultural walk and interactive stations could transform it into a multipurpose site that encourages different forms of user engagement during the day and the night. An all-night events element aims to educate and inform visitors of local Aboriginal cosmology and knowledge, through interactive landscapes and projected visions and stories. From the moment visitors arrive at the station site until the moment they leave, they will be exposed to Indigenous history, both subtly and obviously. This serves to educate, communicate and facilitate connection. During the day, the stations will serve as information points and…

Concrete – with its ability to be coloured, textured and moulded into an endless variety of features – offers a superb canvas for the building of durable, functional and attractive urban landscapes. This highly versatile construction material delivers the resilience and durability required for projects in the harsh Australian environment. With good design and construction practice it can be used to create urban landscape features with a lasting presence. The following projects exemplify the beauty, adaptability and functionality of concrete. Jack Evans Boat Harbour – Stage One Concrete was chosen to enrich the existing shoreline park and create a unique new civil space for the upgrade of Jack Evans Boat Harbour – Stage One by Aspect Studios The “spine” of this reinvented public space in Tweed Heads, New South Wales…

Cumaru is an outstanding new FSC-certified durable timber ideal for landscaping and outdoor applications across structural, decorative and civil construction. Cumaru is an attractive, rich honey-brown colour, with an interlocking grain and gold or red flecks. The exotic wood immediately beautifies any landscape, creating a relaxed atmosphere in modern construction. Porta offers Cumaru in decking, posts and exposed beams. Cumaru will age to a lustrous silver grey and can be easily stained to retain its rich honey-brown colour. Strong, durable and non-leeching Cumaru timber is among the strongest and most resilient natural timbers for decking, beams and posts. While relatively new to the Australian market it is becoming a popular choice for both commercial and residential decking. This is due to its strength, stability, durability and natural resistance to decay,…

The brief for Equestrian Centre Merricks called for a highly functional venue to accommodate the breeding of horses. The site’s undulating landscape posed a challenge to Melbourne-based Watson Architecture + Design and London-based Seth Stein Architects, especially considering the project needs to accommodate a 3,000-square-metre manège (the rectangular arena for horse training and dressage). However, the resulting crescent plan is sympathetic to the environment through its bold architectural form, providing spaces that include horse stalls, a feed room, wash bay, groom’s accommodation and small office. The scheme is particularly dynamic for its restrained yet robust material palette, which withstands the harsh weather conditions often experienced on the site. Apart from the zinc roof and curved rammed-earth wall that partly forms the back facade, the entire building is constructed from timber.…