Melburnians asked to vote on six grand proposals for Flinders St Station

A roof garden, a boutique hotel and retail destination, a vaulted ceiling flowing into a plaza and amphitheatre with a new art gallery, a pattern of bridges and underpasses, a glass lattice roof and multi-level urban park are all key components of the six shortlisted design concepts for the redevelopment of Flinders Street Station in the heart of Melbourne.

The schemes are as diverse as they are grand incorporating heritage elements of the 1909-built station with new functions.

The public has been asked to vote on the six design concepts and, while the results of the public vote will not determine the final design plans, public views will be taken into account when a final scheme is decided upon by the Victorian government.

Designs are to be rated on their overall design merit, transport function, cultural heritage and iconic status and urban design and precinct integration.

The six shortlisted architectural and design practices are (click on links to see each proposal):

• Ashton Raggatt McDougall - Melbourne (roof garden concept)

• Zaha Hadid Architecture & BVN Architecture – UK and Melbourne (boutique hotel, office and retail )

• Hassell + Herzog  & De Meuron – Melbourne and Switzerland (vaulted ceiling flowing into a plaza and amphitheatre)
  
  

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• John Wardle Architects + Grimshaw – Melbourne and UK (pattern of bridges and underpasses)
  
  

• NH Architecture - Melbourne (glass lattice roof)
  
  

• Eduardo Velasquez + Manuel Pineda + Santiago Medina - Colombia via University of Melbourne (multi-level urban park)
  
  

Voting is open until August 5 with a Jury winner and the People’s Choice Award to be announced on August 8.

Plans to develop Flinders Street Station – much of which lies decaying and unused – was initiated by the Victorian state government in November 2011 with the launch of a $1 million international design competition to rejuvenate and restore the Melbourne icon.

Hassell lead designer Mark Loughnan said the central idea behind its proposal was to transform Flinders Street station into a place that you "hurry through into a destination and one you visit".

“We propose restoring the station buildings to their original glory and transform Flinders Street into a modern transport hub - an intermodal hub for trains, buses, water taxis and possible metro,” he tells Property Observer.

The proposal also seeks to connect the Flinders Station precinct with the city, further, bringing in new arts and cultural facilities with plans for a major new art gallery, a public plaza and amphitheatre, all overlooking the Yarra River.

The Hassell + Herzog  & De Meuron design incorporates weather-proof vaulted rooves to “flood the platforms with dappled, natural light and ventilation” and take inspiration from the original 1899 scheme for the station.

“We studied the original scheme from 1899 to understand its intentions," says Loughnan.

“The vaults are a clear theme.

“We wanted to be contextual and respect the heritage of the station. The train tracks are part of the DNA as is the existing fabric of canopies,” he says.

Terry Ryder will be discussing the Melbourne property market in detail at the Property Observer webinar on 31 July.