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PROJECT: Melbourne Convention Centre

59497 Views 502 Replies 91 Participants Last post by  CP Doom
http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2004/04/18/1082226636118.html

New convention centre, bridge for city's west
By Royce Millar
City Reporter
April 19, 2004


A new footbridge over the Yarra linking Southbank and Docklands will be part of a $330 million convention precinct the State Government is expected to announce in its April statement tomorrow.

The precinct's centrepiece will be a 5000-seat convention centre, or plenary hall, earmarked for the former Mazda site next to the Exhibition Centre, widely known as Jeff's Shed.

Business groups have lobbied for years for a new convention venue, arguing that Melbourne's existing 1500-seat centre is hopelessly outdated.

The State Government has been tight-lipped about details of the April statement and has refused to confirm whether the convention centre project would be included.

Government sources said they expected the project to be a public-private partnership, with a private group building the centre and leasing it to the government.

The managers of the existing exhibition centre - a government-appointed trust - are likely to run the new centre.

But the project will hinge on support from the Melbourne City Council, which will be under intense pressure tomorrow to contribute $43 million, including about $15 million for the bridge.

Yesterday's Government announcement that it would return control of Docklands to the council was clearly timed to encourage the council to support the convention centre.

Yesterday a town hall source said the council had demanded it get Docklands back in return for a contribution to the convention centre.

A private town hall briefing today will be the first formal council discussion on the project. A special council meeting to vote on the contribution has been hastily called for tomorrow to coincide with the April statement.

Lord Mayor John So strongly supports the new centre. He will have the numbers to approve a council contribution.

But the council is split, with as many as four of the nine councillors possibly opposed to council involvement.

Finance committee chairman and former Labor Party member Kevin Chamberlin said yesterday the council administration had confirmed that a large contribution would result in service cuts, a rate rise, or both.

If the convention centre was to be a public-private partnership the council should not contribute, he said.

The Committee for Melbourne called on the council to back the project.

"People come to these conventions with millions of disposable dollars and this has a remarkable knock-on effect for business in the city," executive director Janine Kirk said.

State MPs and councillors have questioned whether Melbourne needs a new centre, when existing venues such as the Docklands football stadium can seat 5000.

But the chief executive of the existing Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre, Leigh Harry, said that to compete for international conventions, Melbourne needed a centre with a large plenary hall, a large exhibition space, and plenty of smaller meeting rooms.

He said no existing Melbourne venue provided all three.

Mr Harry said among world cities Melbourne had slipped from fourth to 25th in the number of international conventions hosted.

He said that Melbourne's lack of convention capacity made it ineligible for 320 major international conventions.
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:colgate: so is his just another excuse to build another foot bridge??? lol
Here is how the site used to look:
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I'm reserving my judgement on this one until we see some more detailed pictures. What we've seen so far hasn't really been much, and we've seen nothing detailed.
Garmatt said:
So the general consensus is that it's pretty ordinary....
I thought I was the only party pooper in that respect - good to see I'm not.

I expected the Daryl Jackson proposal (the one given the "McDonalds" analogy) to look something like this. I dread to think how bland that must have been.

I think it really says something about the state of the media and the government's awareness of good design when they make claims that it will become Melbourne's next 'icon'. They seem to be very easily impressed..........
Still, at a billion dollars I'm sure the materials and finishes will be top notch. Attention to detail may save this development, but in the meantime it seems that Melbourne has given up striving for that elusive '"icon".

People can be critical all that they want to be. But I ask that does every single building in Melbourne have to be an 'Opera House' or something bold and adventurous? Does indeed Melbourne need a landmark building? The ones that it has are very impressive and add to the fabric of the city. You're quite right that Melbourne can build marvellously by providing quality instead of statement.

In 1984 there was a curious "60 Minutes" story hosted by Jana Wendt that compared the two cities in 1984. One critic said boldly that Melbourne wasn't or didn't seem to have any ambition to strive to international heights. The end of the story finished with a punch line as Jana Wendt declared her favourite city. "An my favourite between the two is ... "
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This will easily be the largest and the best convention centre in Australia and will be fully intergrated with the largest and the best exhibition centre in Austrlia.

It is not supposed to be an iconic building for the arts, it is a money making machine for Melbourne and will look better than every other convention centre/exhibition centre in Australia.

If you want to see iconic architecture all you will have to do it take a short walk across to southabnk and you will come across this:



and this:


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3
^^^ Amen.

What really matters in attracting the conferences and such desired is not how pretty the building looks on the outside, but the quality of the facility and amenities available... of which this will be second to none. In any case, personally I like it, it complements the exhibition centre well and is not at all ugly. Two thumbs up from me.

Stu
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Maybe so.....but how often do these enormous projects arise? If, as Bracks says, this is the biggest redevelopment of a single site in Victoria's history why wouldn't you take the opportunity to make a huge statement - especially if your gonna spend 1 billion dollars in the process?

You must admit, most people have been waiting with baited breath for the announcement of this project and when it's finally revealed the general reaction is......"hmmm, well.......yes.....umm...well, it's functional!"
Melbourne deserves better than that!

Don't get me wrong. I'm only saying this because I care about Melbourne making the most of itself.

Adamonline - if Melbourne isn't crying out for an cion when these opportunities come up, why are the words "Opera House" mentioned by a Melburnian yet again? There's alot of really interesting stuff going on in Melbourne at the moment......but when is it going to get something smack-in-jaw stunning? The opportunities are there but no-one seems prepared to take the risk - so far.

What was Jana's choice, by the way? (considering she lives in Sydney and was interviewed on Clive James waxing lyrical about the place I can only guess...................)
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The Melbourne Recital Centre and MTC Theatre Project is smack-in-jaw stunning.

Look at the recently constructed Brisbane, Adelaide, Gold Coast and Perth convention centres and you will see that although all of them are nice buildings none of them are anywhere near smack-in-jaw stunning.

All of Melbourne's public buildings usually end up being better than any other in the country but for some reason we expect every new public buildings to be the next Opera House.
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Adamonline said:
People can be critical all that they want to be. But I ask that does every single building in Melbourne have to be an 'Opera House' or something bold and adventurous? Does indeed Melbourne need a landmark building? The ones that it has are very impressive and add to the fabric of the city. You're quite right that Melbourne can build marvellously by providing quality instead of statement.
:applause: I also think that people are forgetting about the six star green rating, which would be seen as a constraint on the design, as certain materials and design strategies would have to be employed to achieve this. For a building that achieves a six star rating it's pretty damn good. And I also think it's wrong to pin your hopes of a landmark and iconic design on a convention centre, it would be best reserved for a cultural building, perhaps like the end of Central Pier speaking of which they should be announcing that pretty soon. My only gripe with the Convention centre is the bridge (don't need it) and how close it is to the Exhibition centre. Other than that I couldn't ask for more (maybe another tower but meh). I'm interested in seeing all the other submissions.
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Garmatt said:
Maybe so.....but how often do these enormous projects arise? If, as Bracks says, this is the biggest redevelopment of a single site in Victoria's history why wouldn't you take the opportunity to make a huge statement - especially if your gonna spend 1 billion dollars in the process?

You must admit, most people have been waiting with baited breath for the announcement of this project and when it's finally revealed the general reaction is......"hmmm, well.......yes.....umm...well, it's functional!"
Melbourne deserves better than that!

Don't get me wrong. I'm only saying this because I care about Melbourne making the most of itself.

Adamonline - if Melbourne isn't crying out for an cion when these opportunities come up, why are the words "Opera House" mentioned by a Melburnian yet again? There's alot of really interesting stuff going on in Melbourne at the moment......but when is it going to get something smack-in-jaw stunning? The opportunities are there but no-one seems prepared to take the risk - so far.

What was Jana's choice, by the way? (considering she lives in Sydney and was interviewed on Clive James waxing lyrical about the place I can only guess...................)
Sydney has the Opera House. Melbourne has lots of archiwonders - eg ACCA, NGVI, Fed Square, VAC, VCA, RMIT Storey House, QV, Melb Central, Shrine of Remembrance annex, Jeff's Shed, the gateway to Melb, Melb Museum, SLV, etc etc etc - and that's not even any skyscrapers! Most were designed by Melburnians for Melbourne.

Get over it - Melbourne leads Australia in architecture and design. Sydney has the Opera House (designed by a foreigner) and what else? Who your daddy now?
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^^Don't forget Southern Cross Station.

Blabbyboy said:
Who your daddy now?
:hilarious
Dont mean to be bleak but really dont know why they awarded the tender to a developer in such financial strife at the moment.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/busin...ting-of-wembley/2006/02/23/1140670205842.html

Hopefully they will deliver.
Blabby isn't happy with the design - Jeff's Shed has a certain iconic presence in the sense that it should be interpreted as a (standalone) sweeping wing. Put something next to your wing and you get a drumstick. We're getting a drumstick that mangles that design sensibility. I wonder how John Denton feels - kicked in the nuts. But blabby is happy with the rest of the proposed elements. Convention centres don't need to be iconic in the way that Jeff's Shed was iconic - but they need to respect their urban context.
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John Denton is the state architect and had input into this decision and will assist in refining the design, so you would presume he is OK with it.
I will freely admit that:

-I had a premature bitch session about how the Bracks government was going to delay and diminish from and probably hamstring this development through indecision and timidity.
-I also wanted to see an 'iconic' globally memorable structure go up, more out of my remaining vestige of parochial sentimentality than anything else.

I was wrong on both counts. Government ministers have taken a ballsy decision on the much more substantial proposal, and took far less time doing it than I thought they would. (Some of you that have pilloried me for being a Bracks bashing whinger should note that down for posterity. I credited the Bracks government with something; good heavens the end must be nigh! :))
I agree with the prevailing sentiment that this building did not need to be iconic more than it needed to pursue more worthwhile objectives:
-the fantastic river frontage and interaction between promenade and building; if a building like this doesn't work at ground level it doesn't work at all. By the looks of it the manner in which the CC interacts with the riverside is its finest selling point.
-the six star energy rating which, from an economic-viability standpoint
is bloody difficult to comply with.
Melbourne is not and never will be known for a singular iconic structure or structures, but rather for the originality and class that pervades all of the better designed public buildings. Just because a building screams 'look at me' does not make it a good building; nor a kind of building that should be sought after by a city seeking to aspire to more substantial ideals than appearance.
Melbourne always has.

Question: the word was earlier that the entire development was going to go up at about the same time; surely this does not include the residential towers?

Blabby, the interaction between Jeff's Shed and the CC will probably work better at ground level and in practise than it does in the renders.

Blue
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I don't have time for a rant.
1 - it's bloody ordinary
2 - hate the way it clashes with 'the shed'
3 - no , it doesn't have to be a bloody opera house but come on...it's just an increment above ordinary.
Bluestar said:
Question: the word was earlier that the entire development was going to go up at about the same time; surely this does not include the residential towers?
Yes it does, there are only 40 apartments, so they should easily be able to sell that many apartments in such a fantastic location.

A journalist at the launch asked if it would end up like Southern Cross with the design watered down and the residential and commerical components built years later and the guy from Plenary Group basically siad there is no way that will happen.
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Melbourne is not and never will be known for a singular iconic structure or structures
Why not?? (if it doesn't strive for one...then - yes, I agree with you)

3 - no , it doesn't have to be a bloody opera house but come on...it's just an increment above ordinary.
Absolutely hit the nail on the head in a far more concise way than I could've.

I know it may seem that I come in here and pick shit out of Melbourne's new developments, so I want to set the record straight:
- Eureka: stunning
- SSS : awesome
- Docklands : looking pretty good (especially all the public art)
- Sandridge Bridge : will be amazing
- GPO : pure class
- New MTC & Recital : So good it could've become the definitive Melbourne icon if it wasn't hidden away behind Southbank and was much, much bigger.
All wonderful buildings, but not yet icons.
This is a really exciting time for Melbourne, so why should it be impressed with itself for designing buildings "better than Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane"? Better than London, Paris and Barcelona, maybe........
I personally just feel that this is a bit of a wasted opportunity.

Next big opportunity that I'm really excited about is the central pier development. Do you have insider information on the announcement date Archibomber? I just hope I don't feel the same way when I first see the design for that as I did about the CC.......that's all


BTW - Adamonline - what was Jana's answer? I'm dying to know.....
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Why does Melbourne have to have an Opera House? what has it done for Sydney? has it pushed architectural boundries, forced the city to strive for better and more innovative architecture? No, architecturally Sydney is miles behind Melbourne, while we don't have one "postcard" building to project to the world we have a built environment that embraces some of the best and most innovative architecture in the world. Who cares if there isnt any single show-stopping example? Would you really have Melbourne turn into the one trick pony that Sydney is? (Harbour with a bridge and opera house)

I don't think Melb has anything to worry about, while the CC is not cutting edge design it is 6 star energy rated, will be among the most stunning CCs in the world and will revitalise a park of Melb that is in dire need of it. Melb is spoiled with great architecture....
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Garmatt said:
Next big opportunity that I'm really excited about is the central pier development. Do you have insider information on the announcement date Archibomber?
Don't quote me on this but I've heard a few whispers that we should be getting an announcement on Central Pier some time around the Commonwealth Games and it is supposed to involve Grand Plaza as well. Don't know much about the design (other than it should please most). Not sure what it will facilitate but some sort of cultural building is likely. :cheers:
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