Jill Garner & Hamish Lyon
Revealing stories, ideas and policy decisions behind some of Melbourne's most significant public spaces and buildings. A wide range of best practice architectural and urban design projects are discussed as examples of long-lasting contributions to the city. With a focus on access and walkability, this tour explores the importance of 'designing policy for people'.
Approximate distance: 5km
Approximate duration: 100 minutes
Beginning at MPavilion Docklands, passing the Mission to Seafarers and Webb Bridge before crossing Birrarung (Yarra River) via Seafarers Bridge towards Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. From there, a stroll along the pedestrian and cycleways along Southbank to Hamer Hall and the Arts Precinct. Back across the river via Princes Bridge to Federation Square, Birrarung Marr and over Tanderrum Bridge to end the tour at the Melbourne and Olympic Park precinct.
About your tour guides
Jill Garner has 40 years experience as an architect. In 2015, she became the Victorian Government Architect and has maintained a hands-on role in many significant projects including the Melbourne Arts Precinct Regeneration, Melbourne Olympic Park masterplan rollout and the State Government review of Federation Square.
Hamish Lyon is a founder and Director at NH Architecture. Hamish led NH’s delivery of Stage 1 and 2 of the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre expansion, and led the design direction for the redevelopment of the Melbourne and Olympic Parks sporting facilities including a major upgrade of Margaret Court Arena.
Jill and Hamish introduce us to their intentions for this tour: exploring stories and concepts behind public architecture projects — some of which the two have worked on together. Jill says big public projects often come down to a “moment of funding” where someone says “let’s put money into this type of project”, and she wants to shine a light on the people, policies and attitudes that have been instrumental in shaping the city.
Hamish draws our attention to the 2015 MPavilion, designed by London architect Amanda Levette of AL_A. This is “MP2”, the second iteration after its inaugural season in 2014. MPavilion is an annual architecture commission and meeting place in Queen Victoria Gardens; each structure is then permanently relocated. You can learn more about it on the MPavilion website.
Jill talks about the Spanish Mission style of this building, its history, and how the Mission to Seafarers is currently transforming itself by re-orienting; instead of the front entrance facing Wurundjeri Way, the Mission plans to face towards the river instead.
If you’d like to see inside, check the Mission to Seafarers website for opening hours.
You might choose to stroll/roll across Webb Bridge. Or, stand back from the river’s edge and appreciate its artistic eel trap-inspired structure designed by artist Robert Owen in collaboration with Denton Corker Marshall.
Originally named ‘the New Convention Centre Bridge’ and designed as a pedestrian and cycle link from Docklands to Southbank as part of the Melbourne Convention Centre delivery. Designed by Grimshaw.
Looking south from Seafarers Bridge, you have a vantage on the first stage of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, designed by NH Architecture and Woods Bagot. Hamish explains how MCEC fits into the government’s longterm lease-to-buy strategy of Public Private Partnerships.
Jill provides some background about the site, known colloquially as “Jeff’s Shed” thanks to then-premier Jeff Kennett’s decision to relocate the planned Melbourne Museum site to its current home in Carlton Gardens, and instead place the convention centre in the heart of the city.
Hamish discusses Stage Two of the MCEC development, including the gold roof which evokes both the Golden Wattle, an important local plant species, and Victoria’s gold rush history.
You’re encouraged to listen to this audio while walking alongside the convention centre, travelling eastward towards Clarendon Street.
An overhead helicopter allows Hamish an opportunity to provide some more insight into the MCEC design — this time, the acoustics of the roof!
Jill then goes on to explain how the design of Crown included a “sleeve” around the casino that provided a “finer grain” of retail and hospitality along the riverside promenade. Hamish and Jill agree that this is a unique casino design that improves the walkability and amenity of the public realm.
This historic bridge originally carried a railway across the river. It now houses Nadim Karam’s artwork The Travellers.
Jill says architects refer to this bridge as “the coathanger bridge”. The parabolic arch was designed by Cocks and Carmichael. Previously known as the Southbank Pedestrian Bridge, renamed in 2015 in honour of former planning minister Professor Evan Walker who was instrumental in developing the Southbank precinct.
Jill also talks about David Yencken and Evan Walker’s partnership, and the ways they worked to “elevate the pedestrian”. Jill and Hamish agree that David Yencken was a “pioneer” in focussing on Melbourne’s potential as a ground-based city. You can read more about David Yencken, who passed away in 2019, in this obituary.
Peter Maddison’s Stroll The City tour begins at Evan Walker Bridge.
Jill and Hamish tell us some of the history of this site, including Roy Grounds’ original vision for a largely underground building — which couldn’t be realised because of the “swampy ground” at this location.
Hamish says Arts Centre Melbourne is referred to as a “bathtub” because it’s effectively floating in swampy water — with metal girders sunk down to bedrock to hold it up. These girders are electrified to prevent rust. Just one of many engineering feats required to keep this building afloat and functional.
Jill says Princes Bridge is one of Heritage Victoria’s “most important bridges”. She explains its iterations, and how they connect to Melbourne’s history.
Jill describes Federation Square as part of the 1990s “visions for the river”. Its construction in the early 2000s required the 1997 demolition of the Gas and Fuel Buildings that were previously on this site.
Jill says this 1909 boat shed is the oldest rowing club in Australia, and as a rare example of an early 20th Century boat shed it’s “an important piece of heritage for Melbourne”.
She directs our attention to the left of the boat shed where, in 2012, a discrete “companion” building was added by Lovell Chen which Jill says is a strong example of contemporary intervention on a heritage building.
This installation of 39 upturned bells was created for the Centenary of the Federation of Australia in 2001. The Federation Bells were designed by sculptor Anton Hasell and Neil McLachlan in collaboration with Swaney Draper Architects.
Landscape architecture by Taylor Cullity Lethlean.
This bridge was constructed as part of the Melbourne and Olympic Parks works. Hamish and Jill describe this bridge as part of the civic journey connecting Southbank and Federation Square to the sports precinct.
Looking southwest from the bridge from this location, you might be able to spot Speaker’s Corner.
Hamish discusses NH Architecture’s 2014 redevelopment of Margaret Court Arena.
This is the final stop on Hamish and Jill’s tour. Together, they discuss the impressive engineering of the undercroft of this multipurpose venue.
Many thanks to Jill Garner and Hamish Lyon for hosting this tour, which was presented in partnership with the Office of the Victorian Government Architect and NH Architecture.
