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19 September 2008
International professional services company GHD has won the
Community Ideas Competition for the redesign of Victoria Square in
the heart of Adelaide.
The competition was a joint initiative between the government of
South Australia and the Adelaide City Council, offering $20,000 in
total for two prizes - Existing Square Design (using the current
layout of the square) and Unrestricted Square Design.
An independent panel short listed the top ten entries in each
category and the winners were chosen by a judging panel consisting
of the Hon. Alexander Downer, former Australian Foreign Minister,
the Hon. Kate Ellis MP, Rex Jory and Amanda Blair before the final
decision on the winners was made by the Minister for Transport,
Energy and Infrastructure, the Hon. Patrick Conlon, and Adelaide
Lord Mayor, Michael Harbison.
GHD’s design won the Unrestricted Square Design category with a
two-room concept to encompass the themes of celebration and
festivity.
David Luscombe, manager of GHD in South Australia, said:
“Victoria Square is the geographic centre of Adelaide and has
cultural significance as a place of meeting, ceremony and
celebration, and the GHD design team was keen to incorporate these
features.”
The northern room includes an amphitheatre with ample seating
directed towards a central stage and big screen for concerts and
events such as the Tour Down Under. The southern room incorporates
a marketplace with open air stalls from the Central Markets and
connects people with formal and casual eating areas.
Mr Luscombe said: “Our new Adelaide office overlooks the square
and we felt it important to submit a comprehensive entry. We wanted
to make sure that in addition to coming up with a great design, we
resolved some of the transport and planning issues with the
square’s current usage. Our team therefore included those from our
transport, planning, architecture and urban design groups.”
GHD’s design aimed to improve access for people to connect with
the Square. Private traffic would be redirected to the eastern side
of the Square, with the western edge designated for public
transport users, cyclists and other travelers. A bus terminal
located in the south-eastern corner would connect the tram station
and the Central Markets and provide clear access into the
Square.
“We at GHD are proud to have won the competition for the
redesign of Victoria Square,” said Mr Luscombe. “It will be
exciting to see what the South Australian Government and the
Adelaide City Council develop for the square’s future.”
For further information, contact:
Sonia Adams