Flinders St Station Design Competition Melbourne, Victoria Building Contest, Architect

Flinders St Station Design Competition

Melbourne Architectural Contest, Victoria, Australia – shortlisted architects

8 Aug 2013

Flinders Street Station Winner

Flinders Street Station Design Competition Winner

Thursday 8 August 2013 – HASSELL, Herzog and De Meuron win Flinders Street Station Design Competition

HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron (Melbourne and Switzerland)

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The Australian/Swiss design team of HASSELL, Herzog and De Meuron has won the Flinders Street Station Design Competition, Premier Denis Napthine announced today.

Adrian Welch, e-architect editor said, “A pairing of Herzog & De Meuron + HASSELL was always going to produce some magic, although the shortlist was very strong this combination of major architect studios stood out for me from the start. I think the city has made the right decision here, the design is both innovative and appropriate for the space.

The expressed extrusion reminds me of the simply eloquent King’s Cross Station in London where the two arches announce arrival and departure. Here the arches are multiplied and randomised, making a fresh but slightly informal building. It is exciting to see architects move away from the obsession with glass buildings which has plagued recent decades: the perforated roof forms will create a bold piece of cityscape but also a wonderfully lit space below. I wish the project well.”

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“The jury was unanimous in its decision to award first prize to HASSELL, Herzog & De Meuron, describing their design as ‘a beautiful and compelling integration of aspects of the original station design, strongly reinforcing its gateway status’,” Dr Napthine said.

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Dr Napthine added that the Jury Report went on to say that ‘the proposal offers tremendous benefits to Victorians, connecting the city to the north with the river and Southbank while, at the same time opening up views and access to the historic administration building.’

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“The jury has praised the winning design for its respect for the heritage of the Administration Building while creating new and memorable additions to the station, such as the vaulted train hall, the new gallery and riverside amphitheatre,” Mr Napthine said.

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“The design was judged to offer the best experience for rail travelers with a layout that was spacious, comfortable and easy to get around.

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“The jury also noted how the design retained and adapted many of the station’s key heritage elements such as the Administration Building, the ticket kiosk, the Milk Dock and the Banana Alley Vaults to provide for their long-term viable use.”

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Minister for Major Projects David Hodgett said the jury had felt the design would revitalise Flinders Street as a key city street as well as improve the western end of the site with a new park or plaza around Queen Street.

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“The jury particularly liked the design’s central plaza, seeing it as an ‘important new public space’. With its combination of a market, art gallery, amphitheatre and plaza, the design will make the station a destination in itself rather than solely a journey way point.

“The jury praised the HASSELL, Herzog & De Meuron design for its ‘evident sophistication and overall quality’ going on to add that it ‘could indeed provide a major city changing outcome with benefit for all Victorians’,” Mr Hodgett said.

Flinders Street Station : release from the winning architects

8 Aug 2013

Flinders Street Station People’s Choice Winner

Local university students storm home in People’s Choice vote

Thursday 8 August 2013- The University of Melbourne team of Eduardo Velasquez, Manuel Pineda and Santiago Medina, have won the Flinders Street Station Design Competition People’s Choice Award with an overall score of 279,827 points, Minister for Major Projects David Hodgett announced today.

Eduardo Velasquez + Manuel Pineda + Santiago Medina (Columbia via University of Melbourne)

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“This is a fairy tale win for a group of three young Columbian nationals; fresh graduates from the University of Melbourne. To be on the short list with some of the world’s best architects and then win the People’s Choice Award is an amazing achievement,” Mr Hodgett said.

“Velasquez, Pineda and Medina’s design, which features a rolling green park over the length of the station site, has captured voters’ imaginations. The design won all four voting categories: overall design merit; transport function; cultural heritage and iconic status; and urban design and precinct integration.”

Mr Hodgett said the six short list competitors were ranked as follows:

1. Velasquez, Pineda and Medina 279,827 points
2. John Wardle Architects and Grimshaw 235,915 points
3. HASSELL and Herzog & de Meuron 227,935 points
4. NH Architecture 215,023 points
5. Ashton Raggatt McDougall 209,413 points
6. Zaha Hadid Architecture and BVN Architecture 207,192 points

“Looking at their comments, voters particularly liked the winning design’s creation of new parkland in the city and the way it integrated with Federation Square,” Mr Hodgett said.

Premier Denis Napthine said that the voting had captured the imagination of Victorians, and the winning design had proved popular with all demographics.

“The People’s Choice Award winner’s design was equally popular across gender and age lines and was praised by voters for its sympathetic treatment of the Administration Building,” Dr Napthine said.

“The Coalition Government is delighted with the public response to the People’s Choice Award. Almost 19,000 people voted and the site received more than 1.5 million page views in a two week period.

“I would like to thank everyone who voted and provided feedback on each of the designs. It is clear from the data we have collected that people have really engaged with the designs and thought about them carefully.

“This feedback and the comments we have received will be a valuable resource as we work through the next steps of the project.

“We have more than 620,000 pieces of data – numbers and text – that we will take away and analyse in depth. The results of this will then be used in future planning and decision making on the project to ensure the best possible outcome for Flinders Street Station and Victoria,” Dr Napthine said.

Flinders Street Station Design Competition Melbourne images / information from Victoria Government

HASSELL + Herzog & de Meuron

Flinders Street Station Design Competition : further information

Background on the Flinders Street Station Design Competition

Flinders Street Station Competition

Location: Flinders St Station, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia