The design competition will be conducted in accordance with the Australian Institute of Architects (AIA) guidelines. The AIA has been consulted and endorses the competition.
The competition will run in two stages: design concepts will be called for in mid-2012 followed by a review and short listing period. Short-listed entrants will then submit detailed proposals in 2013.
Stage 1 of the competition will open in mid-2012 following the preparation of a detailed project brief.
Short-listed entrants will receive a honorarium to assist with costs associated with participation in the second stage of the competition.
The objectives of the competition are to:
- upgrade the station to its former glory, in the tradition of other great cities around the world, as a Victorian and international icon and a centrepiece of the Melbourne Central Business District (CBD);
- restore and protect the Administration Building and other heritage elements and to include adaptive re-use;
- improve all aspects of the transport function of the station and adjacent transport modes and cater for significant growth in transport patronage;
- better integrate the station with the surrounding precincts that have grown up around it including Federation Square, and provide better linkages between the CBD and the Yarra River;
- better utilise the land adjacent to rail and air space above rail on the western portion of the site;
- provide significant civic space while allowing for a distinctive and memorable architectural outcome with a mix of uses; and
- provide a value-for-money solution capable of utilising public and private funding sources.
