In September 2009 LVO’ prepared a submission for the Gold Coast Civic and Cultural Precinct Ideas Competition. The competition, organised by Council and judged by a panel of independent design professionals, sought urban design ideas for the redevelopment of the Gold Coast’s current civic and cultural precinct (on Bundall Rd, south of Chevron Island). The submissions were to incorporate a number of facilities, including libraries, concert halls, art galleries, and Council chambers.
Our submission sought to: arrange the facilities around a city square for the Gold Coast (one thing it lacks and which all world-class cities have); and to provide a uniquely Gold Coast response, and an eco-positive response (ie a response that has a positive impact on the local environment). To achieve these goals we interrogated the physical limits and constraints of the site, and sought to re-imagine the way that places, people, building, and the site would relate to each other.
The outcome saw us retro-grading the site towards its natural state as a wetland, and threading together the proposed buildings and the site, such that the distinction between the site and buildings was effectively removed. We felt this was a uniquely Gold Coast response not because it was typical of development on the coast, but because it represented the radical and progressive design approach which has made the Gold Coast famous. Our design also incorporated an elevated pathway system to make the places within the site accessible, and extended a monorail/pedestrian/cycle bridge from the site to the high rise spine and future Rapid Transit network.
We were delighted to have our entry short-listed as one of the top five entries.
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