The Victorian Government has released new designs for a 18,000sqm urban garden in the centre of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation which will be named Laak Boorndap (pronounced Lark – Born – Darp).
The name, Laak Boorndap, was given to the garden by Traditional Owner and Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Language Elder, Aunty Gail Smith, to honour the place that the garden will create for all.
The naming of the garden is also a key step in grounding visitors on Wurundjeri Country and growing representation of First Peoples cultures across the Arts Precinct.
Aunty Gail Smith shared her excitement in the garden's naming, saying its naming is a celebration of culture and community.
"I gave it the name Laak Boorndap because to me it means a beautiful place for all people to visit and recognise our Country and our Wurundjeri ancestors," Aunty Gail said.
"It's not just a placename, it brings Sky Country, the heavens, and everyone back together on sacred ground."
Designed by the Melbourne studio of international design practice Hassell and New York's SO-IL with internationally renowned horticulturalists Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, – who are working closely with plant expert Jac Semmler from Melbourne company, Super Bloom – the garden is modern in both design aesthetics and functionality.
Planted entirely on an elevated deck, the new public garden is at the forefront of contemporary garden design – unique in its planting density, scale and climate resiliency.
Taking advantage of the relatively mild winters in Melbourne, the garden has been designed to flourish year-round, ensuring it is beautiful and ever-changing, continually fostering biodiversity.
The garden also showcases a highly dynamic and multi-layered planting design using a mix of native and introduced species including carefully selected trees, perennials, grasses and flora.
With a bold and unique approach to naturalistic planting, visitors will be able to enjoy six different areas of thematic planting within the garden that intersect and celebrate the natural composition of Australian landscape.
Reflecting First Peoples' long tradition of gathering by and caring for the Birrarung (Yarra River), the new garden will be home to a waterway that the public can sit near and take in the sounds of trickling water.
The waterway will run along the edge of the garden near The Fox: NGV Contemporary.
The elevated urban garden will wrap around and connect the new The Fox: NGV Contemporary, NGV International, Arts Centre Melbourne's Hamer Hall and Theatres Building (under the Spire), along with adjacent The Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre.
Cafes and restaurants will be located at Arts Centre Melbourne and NGV, making the precinct a convenient destination for visitors and families.
Complementing the rich tapestry of planting across the year, Laak Boorndap will present contemporary art and activation including new artwork commissions by First Peoples.
The garden will also be home to significant contemporary sculpture from the collections of the NGV and Arts Centre Melbourne, open to the public both day and night.
Laak Boorndap will also deliver a new pedestrian pathway that will change how the Melbourne Arts Precinct – and Southbank as a whole – is accessed by visitors, residents, students and workers.
Built over Sturt St between City Road and Southbank Boulevard, the garden provides a quick, accessible and safe connection from the city directly from Princes Bridge through to Southbank Boulevard and the Arts Precinct.
Laak Boorndap and the new amenities that come with it will be a driver to transform the area – for visitors, residents and businesses alongside the many arts organisations that populate the broader Melbourne Arts Precinct.
Minister for Creative Industries and Minister for Development Victoria, Colin Brooks said the new garden will re-shape not only the precinct but the manner in which the public and community come together.
"Laak Boorndap will reshape the precinct and bring together nature, culture, art and design – creating a new destination for our city that will attract millions of visitors a year," he said.
Director and chief executive officer of Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, Katrina Sedgwick, is also eager to see the new garden come to life.
"We've reached two extraordinary milestones with the final design and naming of the garden – Laak Boorndap," she said.
This space will be more than a garden – it is really a creative act that delivers biodiversity, beauty and social connection in a way that is diverse and ever-changing.
"Planted for year-round beauty but designed for climate change resilience and biodiversity, this new garden will become a destination in and of itself, building connectivity and wellbeing for visitors, workers and residents alike."
With the Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) established to harness the collective creativity of the Melbourne Arts Precinct, this new cultural infrastructure project is set to be an immersive cultural experience for both the corporation, the precinct and the broader public.
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