Landscape Design Honours for St Kilda Promenade
7 November, 2009
THE Sydney Opera House is a world-renowned architectural statement. Likewise the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.
But landscape architecture in public domains doesn't always enjoy the same cachet as works of this magnitude.
Yet it plays an integral part in forging community landscapes whether it's a council playground or a master plan for a city's river system.
At last night's Australian Institute of Landscape Architects awards a St Kilda promenade development, a trail signage project for Merri Creek and a rooftop garden at Docklands were recognised for their designs. But the highest accolades went to Convic Design for its contemporary youth activities centre in Geelong.
Located on the waterfront opposite Deakin University, it features bluestone, granite and concrete brickwork creating a modern hub complete with multimedia technology for young people to skateboard, ride their bikes and listen to music.
Winning this year's AILA medal for landscape architecture and the award for design excellence judges praised the City of Greater Geelong and Convic Design for the bold choice of location and the striking angular forms of the multi-functional steel gantries and the centre's interactive technologies.
This new genre of park set an example for youth spaces around the world, the judges said.
Principal of Convic Design, Aaron Wallis, said vandalism had been minimal since the area was built 12 months ago.
"The person who said build a bunker and it will turn into one is quite right. It is in an amazing location so it looks after itself," he said.
Mr Wallis said the materials were rugged as befitting the waterfront location and timeless so as not to date.
Site Office won an award for its refurbishment of the St Kilda promenade near the former sea baths in Jacka Boulevard. The main feature is a timber ramp used either to sunbathe, enjoy the sunset, jog along or rest in winter when the sand is too cold.
Designed with architectural firm Jackson Clement Burrows, the promenade was widened to provide a multi-use zone of "controlled chaos" where dedicated pathways for cyclists and walkers had been abandoned in favour of a shared space, the judges said.
Site Office director Chris Sawyer said the decision was controversial but the aim was to reduce the number of accidents between pedestrians and cyclists.
"It makes people more responsible for their actions," Mr Sawyer said.
The City of Port Phillip's brief was to respond to the idea of "St Kilda-ness qualities that make it the way it is" rather than Bondi or Copacabana.
Water from three nearby beach showers is collected in a tank and used to irrigate trees in the new promenade.
A special commendation for landscape art was awarded to helmet by Cassandra Chilton and Tanya Court who, drawing on Sidney Nolan's Ned Kelly series of paintings, created a visual gateway in the grounds of the Heide Museum of Modern Art in Heidelberg.
The Age | 7th November 2009 | DENISE GADD
