Federation Square and Flinder’s St Station – Melbourne’s Meeting Places

Federation Square (Fed square) is a public civic center, a cultural precinct, and favourite meeting place in Melbourne’s CBD. It is a complex of buildings and open areas. There are a variety of shops, cafes and restaurants, as well as art galleries. The Melbourne Visitor Centre is part of the square; it is located underground and is a recommended first stop if you are planning to explore the city’s attractions. The Ian Potter Centre is located in the Atrium; the Centre houses the Australian part of the art collection of the National Gallery of Victoria. Also part of the complex is the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) which has two cinemas.  The BMW Edge amphitheatre is designed to have views of the Yarra River and the spire of the Arts Centre across. In this open area is a large public screen that is used to broadcast major events. We were in Melbourne at the time of the Australian Tennis Open and the week of Australia Day. The square was always filled with people watching the tennis games; however, the games were pre-empted by Australia Day’s programs and celebrations.

Across from Federation Square is Flinder’s St Station, the bustling hub of city and suburban rail travel. It’s another favourite meeting place; when Melburnians say “I’ll meet you under the clocks” they refer to the rows of clocks above the main entrance. These clocks indicate the departure time of the next train on each line. Or they can say “I’ll meet you on the steps”, this refers to the wide staircase leading into the main entrance. Lots of people seating on these steps is a common sight. My high school classmate and I arranged to meet under the clocks on Australia Day; she was coming from work (on a holiday!) outside of the CBD. That was day 2 of our reunion after not having seen each other for almost 32 years (since my wedding day)! Lots of catching up to do!

You can learn more about Federation Square and Flinders St station at these websites

http://goaustralia.about.com/cs/vicsightseeing/a/fedsquare1.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federation Square

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flinders_Street_Station

http://www.ripefruit.com/melbourne/sights/flinders_street_station.htm

Melbourne’s Buildings

As I took to Melbourne’s streets, one thing I noticed right away was the mix of old and new buildings. Beautiful, intricate and majestic old buildings (like the Parliament House, the Library, Flinders St Station, the Royal Exhibition Building and other heritage buildings and the numerous churches) are found alongside sleek, modern architectural designs (like the Eureka Tower, Rialto Tower and the building at Federation Square). I found the contrast very interesting and I would guess that students of architecture and design would learn a lot on walking tours. To add to the feel of old and new coming together, one can see trams, cars, buses, horse-drawn carriages and bicycles side by side on Melbourne’s streets.

Even shopping malls are architectural wonders. The Melbourne Central complex is very interesting. It includes a shopping center, a railway station and a tower. It used to be just the tower which was built between 1889 and1890. When the tower ceased to be used, rather than tear it down, they built around it and the tower became the focal point of the center.  The tower (which is now a museum) is contained under a glass cone (said to be the largest glass structure of its type in the world.

The Block Arcade is a heritage shopping arcade. It was built between 1891 and 1893 and is an example of the Victorian Mannerist style. It’s  interior is exquisitely decorated with mosaic tiled flooring, wrought iron and carved stone finishings and a glass canopy. The mall was closed off to accommodate Oprah and her guests when she visited Melbourne in December 2010.