Square Introduction
Melbourne’s Federation Square was listed on the Victorian National Heritage List only 17 years after its completion. The promotion of the status of the estate is due to the proposal for a downtown website proposed by the now abandoned Apple Store. Heritage considerations will now lead this important public space, widely known as the Federal Reserve Plaza, as it is now and future generations.
The Victorian National Trust organized the Victorian Heritage Register in July 2018. This is the Victorian government’s secret plan for Apple Store before Christmas. The nomination led to the temporary protection of the Federal Reserve Plaza, and Apple abandoned its proposal in April 2019.
Register
The locations and items listed on the Victorian Heritage Register are legally protected. The Federal Reserve Square has added approximately 2,500 other items, from landscapes and gardens to buildings, memorials and handicrafts.
To make significant changes to the listed locations, the owner and custodian must apply for a license from Heritage Victoria.
Victoria Heritage will consider the impact of any proposed changes on cultural heritage. An important public statement will guide its decision making. As long as the heritage of the Federal Reserve is balanced, the proposal can continue.
The Victorian heritage has been considered to change the square. Although it has temporary protection, it allows the Melbourne Metro Tunnel and the Australian Mobile Imaging Center (ACMI) to rebuild.
After all, the Federal Reserve Plaza is located above the historic Princes Bridge Station, and the subway station has also enhanced the Plaza and Melbourne. Similarly, ACMI must be kept up-to-date as a forward-looking, technology-oriented cultural institution.
this process
Australia has a comprehensive heritage system which is why it took 18 months to reach the Federal Square.
The original nominations for the National Trust Organization are wide-ranging. It has received input from the National Trust Expert Committee and external groups, including the Royal Victoria Historical Society, the Melbourne Heritage Initiative and our city, our Plaza event.
The Victorian Heritage then conducted its own assessment of the Federal Reserve Plaza and then recommended that the Independent Heritage Committee list the place.
The Heritage Committee conducted a public consultation. 754 submissions were received. Only three people opposed the listing. In April 2019, a three-week hearing was hosted by three board members.
The Heritage Committee then considered it for four months. On August 26, 2019, it made the final decision: list the Federal Reserve Square.
Read more: Heritage value in the eyes of bystanders: why Federal Square is worth protecting
standard
Among the supporters of the heritage list, there are differences in the applicable standards. There are eight state heritage standards, three of which are considered not applicable. The Federal Reserve Plaza is not considered to be an uncommon or instructive aspect of Victorian cultural history. Its design is not particularly important for the connection to LAB Architecture Studio.
The Federal Reserve Plaza is only 17 years old – a relatively young heritage list – is included in the determination. One principle is that, usually, a generation should have passed before considering the list. However, this principle is flexible. Other places listed shortly after Melbourne’s completion include the National Gallery of Victoria, the Victorian Arts Centre and the Shell House (1 Spring Street).
While recognizing the need to be cautious when listing young places, the Heritage Committee supports the Royal Historical Society, which writes that the Federal Reserve Plaza has become an “indispensable part of Melbourne’s life structure” within a generation.
The Federal Reserve Plaza finally meets five state heritage standards:
Historically, the Federal Reserve Plaza is the culmination of Melbourne’s grand stance of seeking public squares and the Australian Commonwealth. It has a unique post-modern architectural style with an aesthetic value. This is the technical achievement of the engineering decoration board on the railway line. This is a place of life and has a continuing social importance as a meeting place. The square is a public space. The Federal Reserve Square is now protected for its citizenship, culture, society, history, technology and aesthetics. It is particularly controversial to list whether the public space of the Federal Reserve Plaza should be classified as public space. Many Melbourneers may think that it is most important as a public meeting place, but this view does not automatically lead to heritage protection. The management of the Federal Reserve Plaza tried to eliminate the idea that it was a public square. The debate is twofold: the square is not a real public space, because cultural exchanges and commercial tenants are also the core of the place; public squares should not be included in the heritage. Both arguments have been rejected.
The Heritage Board found the Federal Reserve Square to be an excellent public space. Maybe cinemas and galleries, even cafés and restaurants, will enhance it. Establishing an important precedent, the Federal Reserve Plaza was identified as a “significant example” of the public square because of its size, citizenship and cultural activities. When visitors walk from the Yarra River or Flinders Street Station into the Federal Reserve Square, on the front of the digital screen, the Citizen Plaza itself – complete, clear, closed – has been clearly protected.
future
In the past two decades, the Federal Reserve Plaza has become the city centre of Melbourne. It is only a matter of time before it is considered a place to be included in the estate.
The misguided Apple store just created a sense of urgency. The basis of the Apple proposal is the uncoordinated idea that the Federal Reserve Plaza should become a commercial center, and this concept must be rejected to support the community, citizenship and cultural goals of the place.
Currently, the regulator of the Federal Reserve Plaza – its management and the Victorian government – has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape the next phase of the place.
A conservation management plan will be prepared based on the list of heritage. Heritage thoughts should also be informed of the current Fed Square review. You can comment on Victoria Engage by the end of September.
The Heritage System works in the Federal Reserve Plaza and recognizes the wide range of connections between people and the place. As the square continues to evolve, its role as Melbourne’s most important public space is expected to be guaranteed.
Https://theconversation.com/how-can-a-17-year-old-place-gain-heritage-status-what-this-means-for-melbournes-fed-square-122455