Identity Crisis-Arden Macaulay-Michelle Thomas

IDENTITY CRISIS

Remembering,Rethinking,Reimagining Arden Macaulay Michelle Thomas Zacharias s3692543 s3692543@student.rmit.edu.au

As an architect you design for the present with an awareness of the past for a future which is essentially unknown. – Norman Foster

The20th Century Gasometer Ask any North fan born in the early and middle part of the 20th century what they remember about Arden Street, and the Gasometer will likely be at the top of the list.The towering structure wasn’t technically part of the ground, but from a station on nearby Macaulay Road, its shadow hovered over Arden Street.

Players were confronted with the site of the Gasometer as they ran out in front of huge crowds at their home ground. As the team continued playing at the ground through the 1970’s, highlights from the time often show the Gasometer lurking in the background.

While the one on Macaulay Road is now long gone, it will live on in the memories of North fans who were lucky enough to see their side play at Arden Street.

-Ricky Mangidis,North Melbourne Football club

Content 01 About the site 1.About the site

02

Site potential to carry forward identity

04

2.Observations

03 Definition of Identity 3.Identity for me

Site Observations

4.The site +Identity

05 55.1Principles Mappings based on the principles

Fine Grain Introduction 6.1 Concept of Fine Grain 6.2 Prototype 'A' 6.3 How do the principles the work here?

Master Plan

5.Principles

6.Fine Grain

06

01.About the site

SInce the 1800s Arden-Macaulay has been a primarily industrial area supporting the city’s economy through manufacturing and production. More recently, the profile of businesses in the area has changed. This has created an area which is generally underutilised, particularly considering its proximity to the Central City.

Arden Macaulay has an overlay of not only a rich industrial heritage but also a very rich but conspicuous indigenous heritage as the Moonnee ponds creek flows through the site. With the tangible heritage elements that exist predominantly on site , there are a lot of intangible elements which are associated with it.

The city link and the Upfield line practically run through the centre of the site and divide the site both physically and visually. The Macaulay station is located right under this city link.Landuses mainly include industrial zones and residential pockets.

02.Observations The site visit to Arden Macaulay lead to the following main observations: 1.There are a no.of elements on site which have a strong character but are at present oblivious,lost or forgotten.

2.There no spaces for the people to come together,interact and grow as a community.

2.There is a discontinuity a person suffers in his/her journey through the site (visually and physically) which suddenly breaks the relation the person has or desires to establish with the site.

The '20th Century' gasometer example (pg 01) clearly portrays how people identified with that one element on the site,how they used it to identify with the place and how this element became a part of that culture there(at that time sports culture was prevalent) .It helped people make their own stories.

Several such other elements used to be distinctly associated with Arden Macaulay.These elements helped people to identify with the place and consitute an identity to the place. <<<Illustration showing the various issues on site.

03.Identity for me

The identity of a place stems from how people define the place and relate with it.

It is about the culture that is inseminated by the people and the stories they create there that gives a place its unique character and personality.

04.Potential for Identity @ Arden Macaulay

1.

2.

3.

3.

Arden Macaulay has in it embedded a no. of these attributes capable of imbibing a rich culture into the place, but at present are oblivious, inactive and forgotten.

Lack of opportunities for diverse people to come together ,identify with each other and the place itself has stripped Arden Macaulay of holding an identity as a precinct rich in culture and heritage.

1.The tangible heritage in the form of the presently 'not in function' industrial buildings seem to be oblivious and useless instead of being a character setter for Arden Macaulay,a symbol of the once prevalent industrial culture.

2.Railway line itself is a significant part of the industrial heritage .However,currently with the railway staion , it is dwarfed under the city link.

3.The streets are mostly dead,unkempt and dull with most of it either leading to cul -desacs or occupied by private vehicles ; do not act as platform for community interaction.

4.Moonee Ponds Creek is a symbol of the rich natural resource that exists on site and the indigenous heritage surrounding it , an important part of aborginal culture.

5.Visual and physical barriers separate elements on site with which people cam relate to and identify with.

4.

5.

Thus, the aim here is to to re-establish the lost connection between people-people and people-place and device a resilient cultural mechanism to constitute an identity for Arden Macaulay. Therefore , the POSITION established here is:

Redevelopment motivated by need to facilitate culture by re-establishing the lost connection between people-place and people-people.

To justify the position established , 5 principles have been coined which help to establish the identity that is driven by the idea of formulating a culture around elements with a strong character.

05.The Principles

3.

INCORPORATION OF CULTURAL POCKETS WHAT? : Platforms to carry out the reincarnated activities or highlight the importance of a valuable space(heritage)

1.

RECOGNISE THE OLD

AIM : Introducing flexible spaces capable of holding a culmination of diverse activities altogether and bring the community together

WHAT? : Understanding how rich it was in heritage-both intangible and tangible.

AIM : Marking important elements based on their heritage value.

2.

4.

WHAT? : Such diverse spaces and activities require equally diverse zones in functions to keep them alive and maintain a pro-active community

REINCARNATE THE FORGOTTEN & LOST ELEMENTS WHAT? : Incubate activities within spaces which used to exist before which would help people to associate and identify with.

AIM : Introduce Farming , use of Moonee Ponds to its optimum potential , re-establish the prominent industrial activities and buildings etc.

DIVERSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONS AND ZONES

5.

AIM : Introducing a work-play-live integrated precinct with residential, commercial , recreational and institutional zones.

ENSURING A SEAMLESS PHYSICAL & VISUAL TRANSITION BETWEEN JUXTAPOSED ZONES WHAT? : Maintaining the hence established relationship between people and peopleplace through uninterrupted visual, social and physical connectivity AIM : To be ensured in terms of scale, material, continuous and smooth circulation across the site.

5.1 Mappings based on the principles NORTH-SOUTH TRAIL

Heritage with aesthetic & social value Heritage with only aesthetic value Heritage with only aesthetic value

RAILWAY AS HERITAGE

WOOL AND KNITTING WATERWAYS & KAYAK RIDES

WOOL AND KNITTING

EAST-WEST LINKS RECREATION & ANIMAL WELFARE

FLOUR MILL AND BAKERY HUB SPORTS & RECREATION

McCANDLISH HOUSE & STABLE DUNCAN AND YEO WOOL STORE GIBSON & SON PYNERZONE FACTORY DUNCAN AND YEO WOOL STORE BURGES BROTHERSFACTORY COMMONWEALTH WOOL PRODUCE. VICTORIAN PRODUCERS CO-OPERATIVE COMPANY ST.GEORGEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S CHURCH HALL KENSINGTON HOTEL MOONEE PONDS CREEK VEGETATION GROUNDS HOME FOR LOST AND STARVING DOGS MELBOURNE GAS COMPANY GAS REGULATING HOUSE THOMAS BRUNTON AND CO-FLOUR MILL

1. RECOGNISE THE OLD

2.REINCARNATE THE FORGOTTEN AND LOST ELEMENTS

North-South Link

Woollen Industry Influenced Zone

Woollen Industry Influenced Zone

Agricultural Land Zone

EAST-WEST LINK Bakery Industry influenced zone

Clayton Reserve + Animal Hospital influenced zone

North Melbourne Recreation Reserve Zone,Gas Factory Zone

These mappings showcase how the principles will work and be applied on site The Principles 1 and 2 help in creating the first layer for the Master Plan as these insitute the focus points around which the Principles 3,4 & 5 will be incorporated.

LAYER 1 showcases the recognised tangible and intangible elements of the site.This also portrays the various areas under the influence of these elements and how certain forgotten activities like farming , kayaking , east-west , North- South linkages are being considered to be re-established.

LAYER 1

Principles 3,4 and 5 work around principles 1 and 2.These principles help in maintaining the elements of principles 1 and 2 and make the sustainable and thus achieve the final master plan.

CULTURAL POCKETS PARKS/GROUNDS

AGRICULTURAL LANDS

PLAZAS & SQUARES

OFFICES RESIDENTIAL MUZ COMMUNITY CENTRES

3. INCORPORATION OF CULTURAL POCKETS

4.DIVERSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONS AND ZONES

MASTER PLAN

SHARED PATHWAY PEDESTRIAN PATHWAY

5.ENSURING A SEAMLESS PHYSICAL & VISUAL TRANSITION BETWEEN JUXTAPOSED ZONES

1.RESIDENCES 2.INSTITUTIONAL 2a.Institute of Agricultural Sciences 2b.Interpretation Centre 2c.Primary and Secondary School 3.MIXED USE ZONE 3a. Retail district retrofit 3b. Studio/light industrial 4.OFFICES 5.COMMUNITY CENTRES 5a. Residential Community Centre 5b. Sports Centre 5c. Home for the lost and starving Dogs 6.CULTURAL POCKETS AND NEW ACTIVITIES 6a. Agricultural Grounds 6b. Flee Markets/Spot for Food and Wine Festival 6c. Dog Park 6d. Aborginal Heritage Trail 6e. Kayak Launch Deck 6f. Eating and Dining Outlets 6g. Residents may operate studios or small workshops in the open space 6h. Pocket Parks 6i.Arden Rail Trail

06. Fine Grain Introduction This area is surrounded by Residential Zone, Institutional area ,Commercial market Space,the city link ,office area and the railway station.This space falls almost centrally in the circulation pattern as most of the complexes surrounding this area have their active frontages facing this space.

RESIDENCES

INSTITUTE

These 3 targets were intended to achieve throough the detail planning of this area: 1.SPACES 2.ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIP 3.ALL 5 PRINCIPLES DEFINED BY COMMUNITY WITH SITE IN ACTION So, firstly the following zoning was achieved: COMMUNITY DEFINED ZONE

GARDEN

FARMING AREAS MARKET PRODUCE COLLECTION AREAS

RESIDENCES

COMMERCIAL MARKET

OLD RAILWAY LINE

COMMUNITY GARDEN

GARDEN

GARDEN SKILL LEARNING AREAS GARDEN

OFFICES

OFFICES RAILWAY STATION

The zoning of the site includes areas like market zone,garden,deck and old railway line zone. However,there is a 'Community Defined Zone' where the community is free to divide areas as per their requirements based on the following functions: Farming , Produce collection , Garden , Skill learning areas.To regulate this flexibility and make it easier for the community to mould the space,the following concept has been adopted:

6.1.The Concept Demographic is never static. It changes over time and so do the requirements of the people and their interests.Therefore, the design should be such that it is able to mould itself or is flexible enough for people to define the place as per their requirements or demands of the function to be conducted on that space.

Thus, the concept of PLUG AND PLAY has been incorporated . It has been done with the help of a 5mX5m grid laid accross the area.

STEP 1-THE GRID

This also helps the community to relate with their surroundings and identify with it.

2 PROTOTYPES ILLUSTRATED ,BUT 'N' NO. OF OTHER POSSIBILITIES ARE THERE...

FARMLANDS

A.

COMMUNITY GATHERING SPACES

B.

1.

This grid enables with the flexibility to define spaces.

2.

STEP 2- PLACE THE GRID ON SITE

STEP 2- DIVIDE AREAS Different communities might have different crop preferences/ functional requirements; therefore the community can divide the plots based on their preferences.

3.

Prototype 'A' has been detailed further:

6.2 Prototype 'A'

Community Garden

Community Farms 1.Community Garden 5.Farmer's Market 9.Kayak Launch Deck 13.Rail Trail

2.Agricultural Land 6.Stage 10.Hydroponic Farms

3.Produce Gather Area 4.Barbeque Area 7.Habitat Garden 8.Sculpture 11.Indigenous Garden 12.Old Train Installation

Community Farms

Farmer's Market

Habitat Garden and entry into the Farmer's Market

Kayak Launch Deck

Habitat Garden Kayak Launch Deck

SECTION AA'

Bridge

Old Train

Rail Trail

6.3 How do the 5 Principles work here?

1.RECOGNISE THE OLD 2.REINCARNATE THE FORGOTTEN & LOST ELEMENTS 3. INCORPORATION OF CULTURAL POCKETS 4. DIVERSIFICATION OF FUNCTIONS AND ZONES 5. ENSURING A SEAMLESS TRANSITION

HABITAT GARDEN

INSTITUTE

AGRICULTURAL LANDS

FARMER'S MARKET BRIDGE HABITAT GARDEN

RAIL TRAIL BRIDGE

OFFICES

KAYAK LAUNCH DECK

MARKET

RESIDENTIAL ZONE

COMMUNITY GARDEN

AGRICULTURAL lANDS PRINCIPLES 1+PRINCIPLE 2 HOW? 1. Recognising that farming and vegetation growing activity used to exists during the times of the Aborginals 2. Provision to practice this part of the intangible heritage in the form of flexible plots.

COMMUNITY GARDEN PRINCIPLES 3 HOW? The community garden is a platform for the community to bring together the produce from the agricultural fields and also indulge in other communal activities like barbeques , play and learning

KAYAK LAUNCH DECK PRINCIPLES 1+PRINCIPLE 2 HOW? 1. Recognising that water transport was used by the indigenous traverse accross North-South.

2. Provsion of A Kayak Launch Deck helps visitors and the community to remember this intangible heritage.

RAIL TRAIL PRINCIPLES 1+PRINCIPLE 5 HOW? 1.Railway Lines was again an important installment in the precince during the industrial age.

5. Retaining them and making it a part of a person's daily travel and acting as a transition element

FARMER'S MARKET PRINCIPLES 3 HOW? : This farmer's market helps to create a platform for the farming activity to be known as a distinctive trait to Arden Macaulay to the visitors as well as turn it into a profitable activity.

It also has the provision for thr holding events and cultural shows.

Conclusion On a personal note, identity of a place for me is always something I decipher from how people treat their surroundings as well as behave in and with their surroundings . From where I come from ,the people , the stories and the culture define the place for what it is. It is really fascinating to see how the same place behaves variably and is treated differently during different times of the day-morning,afternoon and evening.That is when I call that the place has an identity because the place has the potential to let people define it , the opportunities to get the community that inhabits it relate with it and thus , make it a cradle for the culture that they behold.

Whatever good things we build end up buildiing us. â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Jim Rohn

Appendix Precedents

The Aboriginal Cultural Heritage Trail:Waterhole Creek At the northern end of the Heritage Walk, a sign directs you to the start of the cultural trail that begins at the underpass (with murals on the walls and bridge bollards painted in the colours of the Aboriginal flag).

Urban Coffee & Brew Bar, Melbourne food & Wine Festival

Weekend Markets in Berlin

Paley Park,NYC Paley Park’s popularity is due to its design that provides a quiet escape from the city in Midtown Manhattan. Every detail of the park was crafted in order to mitigate city noise and create a peaceful space in the middle of urban life. To help prevent sound from directly entering from the street and to create a sense of privacy in the space, the entire park is slightly elevated from streetlevel by several steps.

The New York High Line

Manek Chowk,India

Inspired by the wild seeded landscape left after the line had been abandoned, the team created a paving system that encourages natural growth which creates a ‘pathless’ landscape.

Section Line

A

A'

Michelle Thomas Zacharias s3692543 s3692543@student.rmit.edu.au