Melbourne Design Week: A New Normal showcases sustainable city of the future

Bright minds have joined for a cutting-edge exhibition that shows how Melbourne could become a sustainable, self-sufficient city by 2030.

A new immersive exhibition featuring installations by Australia’s leading architects and designers is challenging Melbourne to become a self-sufficient city by 2030.

The exhibition, A New Normal, presents prototypes and ideas for a future city that’s water neutral, powered by renewable energy, and has no waste.

“We can transform our city to run on resources that will never run out, and profit from the transition,” said Ross Harding of Finding Infinity, an organisation aiming to expedite the world’s transition to self sufficient cities.”

A New Normal showcases installations and ideas from 15 top architects and designers, with projects including sustainable energy production, electrifying vehicles, treating waste water, recycling waste.

A rooftop installation for A New Normal, by John Wardle Architects. Picture: Kristoffer Paulsen

Mr Harding added: “Melbourne is the second most liveable city in the world, it’s just outside the top 20 in terms of wealth, and it’s outside the top 1 per cent in terms of polluters; so it’s rich and poor performing.

“If Melbourne can’t do this, then who can? We see it as an inevitable transition, and the world needs an example right now.

“We’re optimistic. It’s important to focus on a solution, propose and do things rather than complain about what’s not happening.”

A New Normal organiser Ross Harding, principal of Finding Infinity, says Melbourne has a chance to set an example for the rest of the world. Picture: Eugene Hyland.

Architect Rachel Nolan, from Kennedy Nolan, hopes the exhibiton promotes “thinking and continuous dialogue”.

She added: “There’s a gazillion different answers. But we should keep thinking about the different ways to do things and create a positive, exciting future for our city.”

The exhibition, staged on the rooftop of a repurposed office building in Little Collins St, is part of Melbourne Design Week, presented by Creative Victoria in partnership with the NGV.

Melbourne Design Week runs until April 5, and features more than 300 exhibitions, talks, films, tours and workshops. A New Normal is at 130 Little Collins St.