Designing Cities Assignment 2: Three Special Places

Nearly all of the best bits of Brisbane – the walkable, mixed-use, well designed bits – are in the CBD, following traditional street patterns, or just over the river, where tradition leads through former industrial sites converted into brilliant cultural and recreation destinations.

1. District: Cultural Precinct,Brisbane. Across the river from theCBD, Brisbane's Cultural Precinctcombines elegant, pared-backmodernist architecture with clevergreen spaces, a variety of outdoorseating areas and access to theriver. The site also comprises worldclass galleries, The State Library,Brisbane Performing Arts Centreand the Queensland State Library,built to a consistent design briefdespite decades in age difference.The precinct is well serviced bypublic transport, with two major busand ferry stations, and train stationsat either end of Southbank, and is easily walkable from the city centre, with two spectacular pedestrian/cycling bridges at either end of the precinct, and well-designated cycling and walking lanes on the main bridge across the river. The Cultural Precinct is designed with multiple public use areas connecting main buildings, including riverside lawns, sculpture forecourts, secluded seating areas and terraced gardens and paths leading down to a riverside boardwalk.

Views of the Queensland Art Gallery and theConservatorium, designed by Robin Gibson► ▼

The CulturalCentreboardwalk atnight ►

Looking Northto GOMA,designed byArchitectus▼

The State Library of Queensland, designed by Donovan Hill Peddle Thorp ▼

2. Street: Fish Lane. Brisbane has just a few streets that aren't wholly dominated by cars, coupled with a legacy of destroying historical buildings without public consultation. This makes the advent of Fish Lane, which is car accessible, but primarily used by pedestrians,and the site of an impressive adaption of a heritage building, even more amazing. The one-way street begins over the road from the Brisbane Cultural Precinct, where a restored historic building features a well-patronised pizzeria at ground level and residential apartments built in behind the facade above. Fish Lane travels nearly all the way to West End, one of Brisbane's most popular destination suburbs for eating and drinking, with otherresidential developments and interesting cafes, including a weekly pop-up food market, a Cuban Cigar Bar and green infrastructure, along the way. Making the lane pedestrian only, adding lighting along the full length of the route, and improving the connection from the lane's end to the Cultural Precinct and bus station over the road, would make it perfect.

The site of Fish Lane's pop-up food market ▼

◄ Looking West from theCultural Centre

Cuban Cigar Bar near the Merivale Street intersection ▼

▲ Light boxes near the Grey Street intersection,above the pizzeria ◄Green wall, looking towards the Cultural Centre from Mollison Street

3. Public Space: River Quay Green, Southbank. As in many cities, Brisbane's river was once appreciated solely for its functionality, and served as the drainage system for the factories built along its bank. Then the riverbank site was part of a massive urban renewal project in preparation for its role as the location for a world exposition fair. Once Expo 88 was over, Brisbane retained the parklands, comprising a mixture of rainforest walkways, water features, pools, grassed areas and plazas as well as articificial beaches, a riverfront promenade, the Nepalese Peace Pagoda, restaurants and shops. The parklands are also home to the Queensland Conservatorium designed by Robin Gibson, and the site of a popular weekend market, and host around 11 000 000 people each year.Recent additions to the parklands include a vegetable garden, tended by parkland employees and volunteers, and, nearby, River Quay Green.

The Green makes the most of its position at the water's edge, with grassed terraces leading all the way down to the water. The amphitheatre-style area is planted with native trees and features a poem to the river, providing an incredibly attractive spot for peopleto sit, talk and eat, play a careful game of soccer, or just to look over the water. The trees provide adequate shade from Brisbane's

near-constant sun, and the stepped designfeels more intimate and less exposed than a similarly-sized flat space would provide; itis also more space efficient, so more people can feel comfortably accommodated by the space. There is a brilliant playground nearby, as well as a ferry stop and footbridge over the river to one of Brisbane's CBD university campuses. The area has been used as a markets, withmixed success. It seems that the site works best when it is available to everyone, at all times.