The National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) is presenting a new exhibition that will showcase the works of eight leading Australian landscape architecture and design firms who were invited to reimagine the lands and waters of Birrarung (the Yarra River) and create an exciting vision for how communities can better access, engage with, and care for this important living ecosystem.

Titled ‘Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070’, the exhibition, presented in association with the Birrarung Council and guided through consultation with Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Elders, showcases provocative and innovative design proposals by Aspect Studios, Bush Projects, McGregor Coxall, Office, Openwork, Realm Studios, SBLA and TCL.

Using renders, illustrations, 3D models, interactive maps and multimedia, each studio will present their vision for a site along the river corridor in the year 2070 – spanning from the city centre, the eastern suburbs and through to its source in the Yarra Ranges.

Teams were invited to explore how emerging technologies, science and First Nations knowledge systems might influence or enhance our relationship with Birrarung over the next five decades. The eight studios will present both speculative and real-world solutions for the future management of our waterways, highlighting the valuable role and impact of landscape design in their protection.

Highlights

Aspect Studios has conceived a vivid future designed around a broadened river corridor, supported by expansive parklands made possible by the removal of the Eastern Freeway. The studio proposes a river landscape at the heart of the city where big trees and swimmable waterways are at the core of the community.

Bush Projects transports visitors into a future where increasing pressures on land use, climate change and biodiversity loss have eroded natural ecosystems to a critical point. In response, the Upper Yarra catchment area is established as a biodiversity protection zone only accessible by Traditional Custodians and the River Rangers.

McGregor Coxall presents a vision of the future of Birrarung as an animated projection across a large-scale topography model of the Birrarung catchment. The proposal presents a visual timeline where decision-making relating to the river and its lands is based on data-based research, cultural knowledge and environmental conditions.

Office will premiere a new video work that questions how the lands surrounding the Birrarung are used for private and public activity, where the river’s waters are siphoned to, and who has access to the enjoyment of this public land and amenity.

Openwork envisions a radical moment in the governance of Greater Melbourne that sees the Birrarung catchment area secede from the current structure of local governments to form an autonomous territory. In their proposal, key infrastructure, including major roads, drains and transmission towers within the catchment boundary are repurposed for use by humans, plants and animals.

Realm Studios has designed an alternative to Melbourne’s current trajectory of increasingly overheated urban conditions. Through a series of postcards from the future, the designers invite audiences to imagine a city where land has been given back to Birrarung, historic buildings become the site of aquaculture, and autonomous robotic entities help care for the landscape.

Creating a composite map of Birrarung made from layered photographs captured over many months, SBLA uncovers the often-imperceptible layers that form the river ecosystem. From insects to the river’s currents, household rubbish and rainwater runoff, the map presents a diagram for the river’s present condition alongside future interventions, such as soft-scaped gardens and footpaths.

Tracing the geological transformations that result from a distant future shaped by fire, drought, flood and a dramatic shift in human habitation away from the river’s lands, TCL will present detailed core samples that offer a glimpse into the environmental events and collective cultural decisions that could occur into the future.

The exhibition is supported by Principal Partner Bupa, who in partnership with NGV, will deliver a program of activities including a symposium, opening weekend talks, and outdoor activities along Birrarung.

Sonya Kilkenny, Minister for Planning says, “The Victorian Government’s 2017 Yarra River Protection Act – the first and only legislation of its kind in Australia – recognises and classifies our river as a living entity. In line with its aims to safeguard the Birrarung for future generations, this important exhibition highlights some imaginative real-world solutions for how our communities can enjoy and preserve this beautiful, natural and cultural resource into the future.”

Harriet Shing, Minister for Water says. “We're incredibly proud to sponsor this important exhibition that will offer Victorians a thought-provoking experience and immersive vision for the future of the Birrarung. Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070 underscores the importance of the Victorian Government’s ongoing work with the community to protect this cherished waterway for generations to come.”

NGV director Tony Ellwood says, “This important exhibition of landscape architecture represents an important step in the pursuit of preserving the life, memory, and future of the Birrarung River. Through the presentation of thought-provoking and real-world possibilities, the exhibition asks audiences to consider what we want for the future of Birrarung, as well as what this river, as a living entity, wants for itself.”

Reimagining Birrarung: Design Concepts for 2070 is on display from 23 August 2024 to 2 February 2025 at The Ian Potter Centre: NGV Australia, Fed Square. Entry is free.

Image: Birrarung 2070 with South Eastern Freeway removed and repurposed | Aspect Studios

Branko Miletic

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