By Colleen Ricci
Flinders Street Station Redevelopment
Melbourne's Flinders Street Station is reimagined with a winning new design.
Artists impression of the Hassell & Hertzog proposed Flinders Street Station, Melbourne, revamp.
Who won the competition?
A team of Melbourne and Swiss-based architects – Hassell, Herzog & de Meuron – has won the Victorian government's $1 million competition to redevelop Flinders Street Station. Although six finalists were chosen from 118 competition entries, the Melbourne-Swiss collaboration was the unanimous choice of the judges; they praised its respectful treatment of the existing heritage building and its creation of "new and memorable" station additions.
The designs of the six finalists were recently displayed publicly, allowing Victorians the opportunity to vote for their preferred plan. With 19,000 votes, the "People's Choice Award" – separate to the main prize – was subsequently won by Melbourne University graduates Eduardo Velasquez, Manuel Pineda and Santiago Medina.
According to the competition criteria, each entry was judged on its visual aesthetic, its ease of use for the community, the respect shown for the cultural heritage of the existing building, and the design's engagement with the CBD, Yarra River and Federation Square.
Does Flinders Street Station need refurbishing?
It is one of Melbourne's most recognisable landmarks; for decades people have arranged to meet each other "under the clocks" at the station's entrance. Flinders Street Station sits at the corner of Flinders and Swanston streets in the city, occupying two city blocks. It is the central commuter railway station and services Melbourne's entire rail network, overseeing 2200 train services and 150,000 passengers daily, figures that are expected to double in the coming decade. The station has been in operation since 1854, but the current heritage-listed administration building – with its famous dome, arched entrance, tower and clocks – was not completed until 1909, the result of an architectural competition held in 1899.
More than 100 years on, a large proportion of the station's internal space is under-utilised with much of it said to be in a dilapidated state. The building's interior contains a "once grand" ballroom and gymnasium that have been closed since the late 1980s. Large corrosion holes exist in the pressed-metal ceilings; paint is peeling from the walls; and dust and stains layer the floors. Several areas are boarded up and a leaking roof recently forced office staff to vacate the third floor.
When will building commence?
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine has estimated the cost of building the winning design at between $1 billion and $1.5 billion. However, no funds have been allocated to the project, leading some to question the likelihood of it ever being built. Dr Napthine acknowledges that Flinders Street Station is in need of considerable attention, and claims that the design competition has been "an important phase" in the site's redevelopment. Negotiations with the winning bidders will now commence to determine the true cost and overall viability of the project. "I would hope we start inside the next 10 years," Dr Napthine said.
Some have criticised the government for not allowing the people's vote to influence the final prize-winning outcome. However, the dean of architecture at Melbourne University, Professor Thomas Kvan, said judging the entries required a level of technical expertise that could not be measured by popular vote. The Minister for Major Projects, David Hodgett, said the public feedback would be used to refine the future development of the site.
What does the new design incorporate?
According to the winning architects, the design aims to transform the station into a "modern transport hub" and re-engage with the city, river and Federation Square. A central feature of the design is a vaulted roof covering the railway tracks: a collection of arches in the form of woven, lattice-like structures, running adjacent to the heritage building. This cylindrical roofing aims to protect passengers from the weather, allow ventilation, and disperse natural light. The vaulted roof is also said to be a salute to the original building design, which featured a series of arched roofs over the tracks, a feature that was never built.
The heritage administration building will remain intact and its internal features, including the ballroom and gymnasium, will be enhanced and serviced by new cafes, bars, retail spaces and administration area. A new civic precinct, public art gallery, plaza and marketplace, with an amphitheatre stepping down towards the river's edge to a floating stage, will also be incorporated. According to principal architect Mark Loughnan: "We wanted to turn Flinders Street Station into a destination to be enjoyed, rather than a place to hurry through."
What is the response?
Melburnians have had mixed reactions to the winning design. Many are excited by the prospect of revitalising the heritage building, of opening the site to embrace the river, and of integrating new, exciting, public spaces – elements that, they say, will immeasurably advance Melbourne's liveability and enhance the station's standing as a gateway to the city.
Others say the project is too costly and that a simple refurbishment of the current buildings – and a commitment to maintenance and cleanliness – is all that is immediately required. Some declare the competition a waste of time and money, saying the project will never be built because no government funds have been allocated. Others merely dislike the design, saying it smacks of "cheap futurism" and is "modern for the sake of being modern". They say Flinders Street is the "grand old dame" and should remain untarnished.
Recent headlines
"Melbourne's Flinders St Station: storm in a coffee cup?", BRW, August 9
"Flinders St station design has some raving and others railing", the Herald Sun, August 8
"Cheap shunt: Flinders redesign a futurist disaster in the making", The Age, August 4
"Flinders Street Station designs revealed", The Age, July 23
What The Age says
"Borrow as it must, the Napthine government should waste no time in implementing the prize plan. The station and its surroundings are a public gateway to the city. The benefits for Melbourne and Melburnians will far outweigh the costs."
Editorial opinion, August 10
What people say
"The predictable outcome of the Flinders Street Station design competition was that modernism won while the public voted for greenery. Neither of the winning designs is practical and both are unaffordable."
Andrew Herington, The Age, August 9
"Melbourne's all about gardens and beautiful architecture. This is modern rubbish, modern for the sake of being modern."
Steve Adams, Herald Sun, August 8
"I personally am excited by the design ... because it achieves all the goals we set, ticks all the boxes in terms of protecting the heritage, improving the use of the area as a public transport station but also opening up the city ... and utilising some of the areas of the site that ... at the minute are a bit dingy and underutilised. Architecture always has controversy and I think this discussion is valuable."
Victorian Premier Dr Napthine, Herald Sun, August 8
"The Flinders Street Station is really part of the psyche of Melbourne, the fabric of Melbourne. It was really important that the historic facade is retained and somehow celebrated."
Hassell lead architect Mark Loughnan, BRW, August 9
"Like a lot of large visions for Melbourne, including public transport initiatives, the proposed redevelopment of Flinders Street Station ... will quietly slip from the public view and not be mentioned again until the next "new" review and planning process in a few years' time. I suppose it keeps the consultants in work."
Michael Havir,The Age, August 12
"I could not help but observe irregularities in the on-site video of the Flinders Street Station redevelopment proposals. The trains were not covered in hideous graffiti, travellers were smiling and platforms were spotless. However, one could assume that, while not obvious in the video, it was likely that trains were running late or had been cancelled."
Robert Emonson, The Age, August 9
"What is it about our mindset that fails to value what we have and simply restore it to its former glory? Why do we have to have monsters imposed on our once gracious city? Forget "porosity", "fluid" and "organic" – let's show some respect."
Annette Cooper, The Sunday Age, August 11
Web links
Major Projects Victoria
Hassell Studio, Melbourne
http://www.hassellstudio.com/en/cms-projects/detail/flinders-street-station
Your view
Should Flinders Street Station be redeveloped? What do you think of the winning design? Of the six finalists, which would you have voted for? Why?