The Urban Developer
AdvertiseEventsWebinars
Urbanity
Awards
Sign In
Membership
Latest
Menu
Location
Sector
Category
Content
Type
Newsletters
URBAN LEADER AWARDS ARE BACK! START YOUR NOMINATIONS
URBAN LEADER AWARDS ARE BACK! START YOUR NOMINATIONS
LEARN MOREDETAILS
TheUrbanDeveloper
Follow
About
About Us
Membership
Awards
Events
Webinars
Listings
Resources
Terms & Conditions
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Republishing Guidelines
Editorial Charter
Complaints Handling Policy
Contact
General Enquiries
Advertise
Contribution Enquiry
Project Submission
Membership Enquiry
Newsletter
Stay up to date and with the latest news, projects, deals and features.
Subscribe
ADVERTISEMENT
SHARE
print
Print
Urban DesignLeon Della BoscaSun 01 Sep 24

Green Heart Planned for Melbourne Art Precinct

Impressions of the Laak Boorndap garden being built in Melbourne Arts Precinct.

An urban garden about the size of the MCG has been unveiled as part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct.

The 18,000sq m garden, Laak Boorndap, will “serve as a vibrant public space attracting visitors and further enhancing the precinct’s appeal”, the Victorian Government said.

The green space in the centre of the Melbourne Arts Precinct, a planned cultural hub in the heart of the city, will be designed by a consortium that includes international design practice Hassell and US architects SO-IL.

Laak Boorndap will be a dense, climate-resilient urban planting, the government said, and will connect The Fox: NGV Contemporary with the NGV International, Arts Centre Melbourne and The Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre. Cafes and restaurants will be a part of the precinct.

Victorian creative industries and development minister Colin Brooks said “Laak Boorndap will reshape the precinct and bring together nature, culture, art and design––a major investment in our creative industries, tourism and local jobs”. 

“[It] will be an absolute game-changer for the suburb, for this city and for the people of Victoria,” he said.

The creative industries in Victoria contribute around $40.3 billion to the state’s economy and employ nearly 320,000 people.

Construction of Australia’s largest cultural infrastructure project is expected to create an additional 11,000 jobs, further boosting the economic impact of the creative industries in Victoria.

Laak Boorndap’s integration with the Melbourne Arts Precinct will add further appeal—and foot traffic—to an already popular space that had 16 million visitors in in 2022-23.

Render of the Laak Boorndap garden being built in Melbourne Arts Precinct as part of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation.
▲ Laak Boorndap will connect NGV International with Fox Contemporary and other important cultural institutions.

The garden’s location within the Melbourne Arts Precinct and its proximity to renowned cultural institutions, combined with its accessibility and public appeal, could make it an ideal location for more retail outlets, dining experiences, studios, galleries, and office spaces.

Work on Laak Boorndap is due to start in 2026.

Brooks said that demolition work was under way at 77 Southbank Boulevard “so you’ll soon see the Fox Contemporary coming out of the ground”.

He said the project was “moving forward on time, on budget” and “the team is doing a power of work to keep it that way”.

The $1.6-billion Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation has been widely well received, but there have been some reservations about the design of the Fox Contemporary building.  

InfrastructureMelbourneUrban DesignPlacemakingLandscapeCommunityConceptPrecinct
AUTHOR
Leon Della Bosca
More articles by this author
linkedin icon
ADVERTISEMENT
TOP STORIES
Scape PBSA Kingsford EDM
Exclusive

It Takes More Than a Room: PBSA Evolves to Meet Student Demands

Clare Burnett
7 Min
Exclusive

Soheil Abedian: What’s Driven the Man Who’s Transformed a City

Phil Bartsch
7 Min
Exclusive

Robots Not a Miracle Cure for Housing Productivity Crisis

Vanessa Croll
6 Min
Exclusive

Where 600 Wealthy Families Are Putting Their Millions

Taryn Paris
6 Min
Brique Projects EDM
Exclusive

Brique Thrives in Cauldron of SE Queensland Development

Clare Burnett
7 Min
View All >
Queen's Whard EDM
Hotel

Star Back to Square One After Queens Wharf Deal Collapses

Clare Burnett
Industrial

ISPT Files Plans for Dandenong Mega-Logistics Project

Scape PBSA Kingsford EDM
Exclusive

It Takes More Than a Room: PBSA Evolves to Meet Student Demands

Clare Burnett
Developers and universities have been warned they must smarten up to succeed as PBSA takes off…
LATEST
Queen's Whard EDM
Hotel

Star Back to Square One After Queens Wharf Deal Collapses

Clare Burnett
3 Min
Industrial

ISPT Files Plans for Dandenong Mega-Logistics Project

2 Min
Scape PBSA Kingsford EDM
Exclusive

It Takes More Than a Room: PBSA Evolves to Meet Student Demands

Clare Burnett
7 Min
Salvos Coliving EDM
Residential

Investa, Salvos Reveal Co-Living Plan for Sydney CBD

Clare Burnett
2 Min
View All >
ADVERTISEMENT
Article originally posted at: https://www.theurbandeveloper.com/articles/melbourne-arts-precinct-transformation-urban-garden-laak-boorndap