Harbour Esplanade

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Hassell Studio in conjunction with Places Victoria and City of Melbourne have devised a master plan for what many observers would consider the 'missing tooth' of Docklands. Harbour Esplanade was in years gone by expected to be an urban showcase for the area, but has stuttered and stumbled to the point where it is now akin to a patchwork of attempts to enhance the central waterfront area.

With wheels set in motion during 2014, the Harbour Esplanade Master Plan Report was put before Council for consideration during late March.

<blockquote>
The ambition of this master plan is to establish a vision of great aspiration; a vision conceived unmistakably for, and about this place, Melbourne’s primary urban waterfront. A vision that is underpinned by a number of clearly articulated and achievable design principles which will guide the realisation of a very special public place for all Melburnian’s.

A place for us to engage with our somehow yet undiscovered and wonderful harbour, place for us to invite the world to visit and be entertained. The role of the master plan is to define a clear physical structure or ‘zoning plan’ for the Harbour Esplanade waterfront promenade, that will facilitate a staged delivery of the precinct over time.
<cite>Harbour Esplanade Master Plan Report</cite>
</blockquote>

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image92_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="A hotchpotch Harbour Esplanade to date. Image courtesy Hassell / Places Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="496" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image92_0.jpg?itok=FAjjrDG_" title="A hotchpotch Harbour Esplanade to date. Image courtesy Hassell / Places Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>A hotchpotch Harbour Esplanade to date. Image courtesy Hassell / Places Victoria</figcaption></figure>Key to the master plan is a set of urban design principles conceived to ensure that future works are consistent with the overall intent of the site as defined by the vested parties. The seven principles are:

<ul>
<li>Embrace the water</li>
	<li>Provide a diverse range of experiences</li>
	<li>Integrate public spaces within the built form</li>
	<li>Take a restorative design approach</li>
	<li>Make it unique, reinforce its heritage character</li>
	<li>Re-prioritise pedestrian movement at key</li>
	<li>Program the space for day and night activation</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/image93_0.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="The area subject to the master plan. Image courtesy Hassell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="336" src="/sites/urban.melbourne/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/image93_0.jpg?itok=4jxMFDqF" title="The area subject to the master plan. Image courtesy Hassell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>The area subject to the master plan. Image courtesy Hassell</figcaption></figure>Expected within the redevelopment is the construction of a continuous wharf edge to Victoria Harbour which would see the delivery of four new decks and increased landscaping and pedestrian accessibility to both the harbour edge and adjacent the Capital City Trail. Split into north and south basins, as divided by the historic goods sheds, there is scope within the proposed master plan to allow buildings ranging between 1-3 levels atop parts of Harbour Esplanade.

Slated as a staged redevelopment by Places Victoria, the Master Plan is designed to reflect the "Scale and complexity" of the site, while providing clarity for issues such as "Location, form and design intent of any future buildings and public realm spaces within the site."

<h2>Comment</h2>

Unfortunately there's no great imagery within the Master Plan to provide any indication as to what can be expected. Factoring in the decade it's taken to arrive at this point, and granted all but the very few are on the outside looking in, it seems to be a painfully slow process to deliver Docklands with a viable urban showpiece.

Truthfully parallels can be drawn with the St Kilda Triangle flop.

Nonetheless a Master Plan is coming. What better way to provide Docklands with something truly unique then to open the Harbour Esplanade redevelopment to a design competition. Federation Square and Flinders Street Station provided excellent outcomes, Harbour Esplanade should be afforded an equally as impressive outcome.

The Master Plan documents can be viewed at <a href="http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/BuildingandPlanning/Planning/Pages/Planningregisteronlinesearchresults.aspx?appid=224797">City of Melbourne's website</a>.

Lead image courtesy The University of Melbourne.
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silvermb

Places Victoria moves ahead with Harbour Esplanade 

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Last week <a href="http://www.places.vic.gov.au/">Places Victoria</a> lodged a planning application for the Harbour Esplanade Master Plan with City of Melbourne who have since commenced assessment of the master plan, and will in due course prepare a report for consideration by the Future Melbourne (Planning) Committee sometime in early 2015.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/tile_harbouresplanade1.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Harbour Esplanade. © Places Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="408" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/tile_harbouresplanade1.jpg?itok=b5OSlFO7" title="Harbour Esplanade. © Places Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Harbour Esplanade. © Places Victoria</figcaption></figure>In July 2014, Places Victoria and the City of Melbourne engaged <a href="http://www.hassellstudio.com/">Hassell</a> to refine the Harbour Esplanade Master Plan for what has thus far been an underutilised urban centrepiece for Docklands. The Master Plan is a blueprint for the future development of a flexible, adaptive and changing event space by the water. It proposes an 8m wide waterfront promenade spanning the full length of Harbour Esplanade and features seven key zones:

<ul>
<li>An Urban Plaza Zone at the southern end of Harbour Esplanade including a green area and improved east-west connections and crossings for pedestrians.</li>
	<li>An Exhibition and Events Zone, with flexible spaces that can be activated for events and exhibitions.This area will include some buildings and the potential for restored heritage sheds or elements of heritage sheds.</li>
	<li>A Water Transport Zone, making provision for a future ferry terminal.</li>
	<li>A Central Entrance and Service Zone, providing a key entry point to Central Pier and a flexible area for transport services during events.</li>
	<li>A Recreation Zone at the northern end of Harbour Esplanade featuring a water play space for families, a green area and improved east-west connections and crossings for pedestrians. This area will also include some buildings and the potential for restored heritage sheds or elements of heritage sheds, however views from LaTrobe Street to the harbour will be protected.</li>
	<li>A Heritage Vessel Zone, making provision for heritage vessels to be moored in the harbour.</li>
	<li>An Active Street Edge Zone which will see the improvement of the eastern street edge in front of Etihad Stadium.</li>
</ul>
<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/harbour_esplanade_summary.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Harbour Esplanade Master Plan Overview. © Hassell"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="375" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/harbour_esplanade_summary.jpg?itok=RWbI0ziB" title="Harbour Esplanade Master Plan Overview. © Hassell" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Harbour Esplanade Master Plan Overview. © Hassell</figcaption></figure><h2>Looking beyond Harbour Esplanade to Central Pier</h2>

Of particular interest is Central Pier; although not encompassed within the Harbour Esplanade Master Plan, Places Victoria considers it to be a vital component of the Docklands waterfront that will ultimately breathe new life into the area. As such Places Victoria intends to begin progressing ideas to develop Central Pier in 2015.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/tile_harbouresplanade2.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Central Pier / Harbour Esplanade. © Places Victoria"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="408" src="/sites/urbanmelbourne.info/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/tile_harbouresplanade2.jpg?itok=jdmjA57E" title="Central Pier / Harbour Esplanade. © Places Victoria" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Central Pier / Harbour Esplanade. © Places Victoria</figcaption></figure><blockquote>
Places Victoria is the custodian of the historic Central Pier on behalf of the Victorian Government and the people of Victoria. The 350 metre extension into the waterways of Victoria Harbour is almost 100 years old and, together with Harbour Esplanade, forms the centrepiece of Docklands.

In 2006, Places Victoria entered into a lease agreement with Corporate Events Australia and The Atlantic Group, which saw the historic sheds on Central Pier restored for function spaces, offices and restaurants. The lease ensures that the use of Central Pier is maximised in the short to medium-term while providing flexibility to develop a long-term vision for the development of the area.

Central Pier’s Shed 9 is now one of the largest event spaces in Melbourne and Shed 14 is home to the Woolshed Pub, the artisan bread house Mill &amp; Bakery, Italian eatery Va Bene and cocktail bar Alumbra.

Places Victoria’s long-term vision for Central Pier is for it to become the most significant public water site in Victoria – a lively, interactive public hub at the centre of Docklands that will become a major destination for residents, workers and visitors of Docklands.
<cite>Places Victoria</cite>
</blockquote>

The Esplanade Master Plan is <a href="http://www.places.vic.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0009/12330/Harbour-Esplanade-Master-Plan-Submitted-to-City-of-Melbourne-December-2014.PDF">available for viewing</a>. For more information, visit the <a href="http://www.places.vic.gov.au/precincts-and-development/docklands/building-a-community/harbouresplanade">Places Victoria website</a>.
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Harbour Esplanade

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