Venue/Building Design

The Atrium

The Atrium is a unique covered public space, providing a complement to the open square. Offset into two distinct elements, by the intersection of the "Crossbar", the Atrium is a galleria-like structure. As a continuously open, publicly accessible space, the Atrium effectively and dramatically connects the city, through Federation Square to the Yarra River.

The northern part of the Atrium, as a glazed covered street, provides a forecourt to the Ian Potter Centre through an open interior volume 16 metres high and up to 18 metres across. The southern end of the Atrium steps from the deck level over the railway down to the river. Within this transition, an indoor amphitheatre, the BMW Edge, provides a public theatre for incidental daily events, casual entertainment or ticketed musical, comedy and other performances. The design is tuned acoustically to provide a space suitable for small to medium sized music and theatre ensembles, including chamber orchestras.

The open galvanised structural frames of the Atrium evolved from the same triangular geometry as that of the facades , but developed as a folded three-dimensional system glazed both inside and out. The deep space of this supporting frame acts as a thermal chimney, evacuating the build-up of hot air.

The Ian Potter Centre - NGV Australia

This building comprehensively presents the National Gallery of Victoria's collection of Australian Art. A total of 7,250 m2 of gallery space showcases Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art on the ground floor, historic and modern Australian collections on Level 1 and contemporary art and galleries for special exhibitions situated on Level 2.

The main collections are curatorially organised in a regulated, chronological sequence. Nonetheless, the building's design offers the means for visitors to inscribe their own experiences of the collection through shifting gallery view lines and cross connections. This design strategy gives visitors a rich, inviting engagement with the outstanding collection of the NGV.

The simple overlapping (or dual filament) composition of the galleries allows both a direct route through the building's inherent figure-eight layout, or by the optional, diverse pathways. The focus, however, always returns to the central area of the public foyers. Circulation by lift, escalator and stairs is joined at each level in the central foyers, which are formed by the intersection of the "Crossbar" building with the NGV building. Here vertical movement becomes part of the building's internal drama, providing a continuous outlook to other aspects of the site and across Melbourne city.

The two overlapping gallery filaments are the main exhibition spaces. Between these filaments are formed the intra-filament spaces. These spaces are enclosed, calmer and darker in the north half of the building, while opening onto the landscape, with views across the Yarra to the south. In the northern section, the spaces are focused upwards, to the skylights and the vertical volume between the gallery spaces. For the southern intra-filament space, a continuously folded glass wall lines all the bridging levels. These intra-filament spaces are an important spatial reference, assisting in providing orientation within the building, as well as opportunity for relaxation.

BMW Edge

A 290-to-450 seat indoor amphitheatre situated at the river end of the Atrium, the BMW Edge has been designed for music, small to medium scale theatre, comedy, talks and presentations, launches and cabaret.

The Melbourne Cricket Ground, Alexandra Gardens, the Victorian Arts Centre spire and the Yarra River are all in view through the crystalline lining of the venue. The fit out of this new cultural venue was made possible through the generous support of BMW Group Australia.

Yarra Building

This building provides enclosure for the plaza at its southern edge. It links the Square and the deck level facilities to the riverside terrace and the historic vaults along the Yarra River with a variety of levels and adjacent stairways. These links continue the permeability of the site as a whole, providing connection from the river back to the Square and to Flinders Street.

The open and opaque qualities of the façade systems used for the office and cinema components of the ACMI continue across the Square and are combined on the Yarra building. The façade opens with terraces towards the river and with viewing edges towards the activities of the plaza. The activation of this building acts to extend the integration of civic, cultural and commercial facilities within the precinct.

St Paul's Court / Melbourne Visitor Centre

Through the design of St Paul's Court, St Paul's Cathedral is integrated with Federation Square. The Cathedral's spatial connection to the site, formed by the north west arms of the Square and the two "shards" framing the cathedral's south facade, allows it to become a central focus, encouraging previously unseen cathedral vistas.

Acting as a signpost for the site, tourist information services for Melbourne have been consolidated within the new Melbourne Visitor Centre located on the north-west corner of Federation Square. It is supplemented by additional exhibition, retail and cafe facilities in immediate proximity.

Alfred Deakin Building (SBS and ACMI)

The Alfred Deakin Building is home to the Australian Centre for the Moving Image, the Victorian State Governments film and screen culture organisation, and the Melbourne operations of SBS, Australia's multi cultural radio and television broadcaster.

The various facilities and services provided at the Alfred Deakin Building are assigned into the two different buildings. One building is more enclosed, a virtually windowless structure hosting the two cinemas, with a function space, a digital lounge, retail space and cafe. The other is a more open building containing the management offices, recording and broadcasting studios for SBS, as well as the corporate offices of ACMI, with theatrette, web-casting studio, electronic classroom, video production lab and numerous screen exhibition spaces.

Two different arcades have been used to provide public circulation within the building, as well as linkage and connection to the rest of Federation Square. The central arcade joins the two main buildings, providing both a Flinders Street and main Square level entry. The central arcade also forms the main foyer and circulation space that vertically connects all the functional components. The east arcade serves as a public connection to the Square, as well as providing an animation of the building through the temporal ebb and flow of people leaving the cinemas after each session.

As part of the ACMI ensemble, the "Screen Gallery" is a unique exhibition space located below the street level, running parallel to the trains travelling beneath Federation Square. This vast space forms one of the few galleries, anywhere in the world, dedicated and designed for the display and development of media screen works. With this facility, ACMI is leading Australia in the development of screen-based art and technology into the 21st century.

Transport

As an iconic building, Transport has a dual role in design terms. It creates a distinctive southern entry marker to both Federation Square and Melbourne city, with functional roles for the Square by providing the south-western enclosure, support to the large outdoor LED screen and important wind protection for the terraces.

The two components of the building are a crystalline volume, formed by the perforated screen façade, embedded into a zinc clad "shard". The aluminium screen creates a virtual form through shadows by day and by emitting light at night. The perforations and openings formed in the façade create a differentiation around its elevations, acting as sun-shading, weather protection and focusing the internal views. The use of the perforated screen visually links this building with other elements of Federation Square.