After Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner announced Brisbane City Council’s plan to rejuvenate the Victoria Park precinct, ideas have been pouring in on how to best transform the area into a 45-hectare public parkland. Now, we can get a closer look into five visionary ideas released by the Council.
Brisbane’s leading design professionals have developed independent creative ideas for Victoria Park to spark interest and encourage more ideas to come in for what the new parkland could look like.
These designs are not necessarily what will be built, but they are intended to capture the public’s attention about different opportunities for the park in the future.
Explore the visionary ideas Victoria Park below and have your say online.
“Active Forest” by Urbis
Planners at Urbis suggest an active forest for everyone. They want to do it by making the park an unparalleled destination in the city’s subtropical park network.
Urbis wants to create outdoor and well-being spaces which will maximise the sense of natural refuge within the inner city.
The goal is to reforest the park, which involves dramatically increasing the density of trees in key locations. This will create deep shade and lush canopies, to become a new forest for everyone.
“Barrambin – Reconnection and Restoration” by Lat 27
Barrambin is all about creating a place that will respectfully celebrate the connection between culture and nature. It aims to celebrate Brisbane’s unique interwoven landscape and ecosystems as well as make transformational connections that will stitch parkland back into the city.
Lat 27 aims to celebrate Brisbane’s over 65,000 years of culture by creating a link to the city, a place to tell water stories, a place for morning walks, and a centre for indigenous culture.
“Brisbane Rock Pools” by Place Design Group
The idea is to create a new setting for play, exploration and relaxation by including features like waterfalls, reflection pond, water rock pool slide, children’s pond, and cascades swimming pond.
Place Design Group drew inspiration from the many rocky creeks and rock pools that are one of the characterising features of Southeast Queensland’s diverse landscape. Our vision is to re-imagine these natural settings within the park as a dynamic play.
“Connect and Celebrate” by Tract
Known for their landscape architecture and urban design, Tract wanted to make Brisbane a place where people meet to celebrate. Think of places for smaller events and community gatherings, an ampitheater, and Brisbane’s “largest major outdoor events space.”
The planners at Tract are also suggesting to create a connection to Spring Hill and City, to Herston and Bowen Hills as well as a new connection to Busway and Kelvin Grove.
“Nature that Nurtures” by Conrad Gargett
As the name implies, Conrad Gargett’s idea is to design the park with nature for health and wellbeing in mind. They drew inspiration from English broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough, who once said spending time with nature offers us all precious breathing space away from the stresses and strains of modern life.
Just like Attenborough, Conrad Gargett believes spending time with nature enables us to experience joy and wonder, to slow down and appreciate the wildlife that lives side-by-side with us.
About Victoria Park Vision
Touted as Brisbane’s biggest new park, Victoria Park Vision will be more than double the size of the City Botanic Gardens. BCC has set aside $1 million towards the beginning of this project.
It is located in Herston and bounded by Gregory Terrace, Victoria Park Road, Queensland University of Technology – Kelvin Grove, Herston Road and Bowen Bridge Road. There is a golf course, driving range, putt-putt and function centre.
Presently, BCC is encouraging the local community to have their say in helping create the draft vision. The community engagement runs from 4 August to 29 September 2019. Construction of the park is scheduled to start 2021.
