colombian graduates make shortlist for flinders st. station

colombian graduates make shortlist for flinders st. station
image © eduardo velasquez + manuel pineda + santiago medina
all images courtesy of flinders street station design competition

when university of melbourne student eduardo velasquez did his thesis project on flinders st station, he probably didn’t think the scheme would have the opportunity to be realized. working with fellow students manuel pineda and santiago medina, they have been announced as one of the six finalists for the prestigious flinders street station competition. the trio’s proposal offers the people of melbourne a new green heart – ‘a courtyard within a station’. the ecological design transforms the iconic landmark into an urban forest. large voids scattered across the western concourse’s outdoor park, allow light, vegetation and air to extend downwards to the railway platforms. the growing, living biomimetic architecture pulsates with the hustle and bustle of melbourne’s busiest train station. the brief required for the new design to respect the station’s heritage building, achieved by the designers with a practical approach to the site’s existing fabric – incorporating a holistic approach to adaptive re-use. a glass-box atrium delicately touches the southern facade, offering protection and preservation while maintaining iconic view shafts. the expansive 5000m2 atrium will hold restaurants, cafes live music conducive to an atmosphere of dynamic urban activity.

a glass-box atrium delicately touches the southern facade
image © eduardo velasquez + manuel pineda + santiago medina

the interior of the administration building is to be restored with the historic ballroom and gymnasium converted into a railway museum, where the public can relive the halcyon days of a bygone era of railway history and nostalgia. a high-end restaurant will transform the main dome space with views looking back-over to the CBD. reviving the banana alley vaults and the western precinct, the scheme provides a socially responsible solution. the people of melbourne will have access to large open plazas, green spaces, a boutique hotel, commercial office space, and an interactive sustainability park.

the expansive 5000m2 atrium will hold restaurants, cafes and live music
image © eduardo velasquez + manuel pineda + santiago medina

large voids allow light, vegetation and air to extend downwards to the railway platforms
image © eduardo velasquez + manuel pineda + santiago medina

the biomimetic approach celebrates models found in nature to create a culturally rich, restorative urban community. urban design principles incorporated in the scheme overcome the obstacle the station is for city commuters by resolving missing links. pedestrian networks across the precinct are improved by the creation of two additional underpasses. extending of the city grid through the station helps to connect the yarra river and CBD. the southern side of the site along the river will be established as a cultural corridor with an urban beach and retail outlets. an improved visual and physical connection to federation square removes current entrance barrier. a new major destination for the people of melbourne, the social, environmental and economic principles incorporated into the design allow for a multiplicity of different uses.

see the full shortlist of the flinders street station design competition, including proposals by zaha hadid and grimshaw architects here and vote for your favorite entry on the competition website now through august 5th.

aerial view showing the new green heart of melbourne – ‘a courtyard within a station’
image © eduardo velasquez + manuel pineda + santiago medina