Woodhead is working on a precinct master plan for the Parliament of Victoria, Architecture & Design has learned.
Parliament House is a historically significant Melbourne landmark and the surrounding gardens are fundamental to the site.
The west facade of the building faces the intersection of Spring and Bourke streets, and bears sweeping steps, elegant lamps and a grand colonnade.
The master plan profess will allow the Parliament of Victoria with to review all accommodation within the precinct and to enable strategic decisions to be made on the provision and standard of accommodation, facilities and infrastructure.
Woodhead is working with other firms, including civil engineering firms, on the project which is valued at a total of $50,000,000. Work is slated to be completed in December 2011.
Melbourne’s Parliament House is the largest 19th century building in Australia that is still functioning as a public building. Government architect Charles Pasley designed the building in 1853 after the results of a design competition were judged as inadequate. The building is said to have borrowed heavily from Leeds Town Hall, which is widely considered among the finest civic buildings in the world.
The design was later modified by another architect, Peter Kerr, a partner of John Knight.
