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Monday 22 August 2011
CAPITeticAL (Big Ideas. Big Future)
THE TASK
CAPITheticAL invites responses to many questions, including:
- Would you build a new capital today or could the Australian Federation be expressed in a different way? Understanding the existing infrastructure and possibly finding "loop holes" to produce innovative ideas.
- Would it be a city in the conventional sense or not? If not, what form might it take? Progressively thinking out side the box. Architecturally illustrating how and what this proposal may include. How might the ideas affect current conditions. What strategies are put in place for this to function.
- What ideas would drive its design and development? Understanding the Framework which leads to design. "Creating a foundation"
- How would 21st century social, political and environmental factors influence the nature of the city? What are the main concerns of the existing city infrastructure? Do we target on city in particular?
- Of what should our national capital consist? Power, Strength, Presence, Identity
KEY PROPOSITION
Between Federation in 1901 and the selection of the national capital site in 1908, various pressures particular to the concerns and conditions of the time influenced Canberra’s establishment and growth. Today, those ‘pressures’ seem less compelling.This competition, a hypothetical, invites participants to re-imagine the task faced by those whose job it was to decide how the capital would be created. What kinds of pressures and influences would there be if the city were being planned today?
- Are there relevant security concerns that would influence the location and design of a national capital today? What will the proposed environment house? Who is it for? what is it's purpose?
- Can the design and location of a city influence clarity, compassion and productivity in the thinking of Governments and political representatives? Thinking about the location (power?) What is the existing conditions?
- What influence would climate change have? Sustainable design
- Can the design of a city influence the life and work of its residents? Livability, Sustainable living. Maybe creating an environment to help and enhance current conditions?
biG iDEas. bIg FuTure.
Choosing the location
From Dalgety to Canberra
Alexander Oliver surveyed possible sites for a federal capital in 1900.
In 1902 and 1903, members of the federal parliament toured a number of New South Wales sites – Albury, Armidale, Bathurst, Bombala, Dalgety, Delegate, Goulburn, Lake George, Lyndhurst, Orange, Queanbeyan, Tumut, Wagga Wagga and Yass.
Their first choice, Dalgety, was confirmed by parliament in 1904. But many believed the site was too far from Sydney. Over the next few years the choice was debated and rival sites put forward. In 1908, the Yass–Canberra area officially replaced Dalgety as the federal capital site.
Bracing, safe and grand
Beyond the politics of locating such a growth centre, the new capital had to be in a ‘bracing’ physical situation – legislators and public servants might fall asleep in the torpor of a tropical environment. The climate had to be cool rather than warm. And the city had to be on an elevated site.
There were also security concerns – the federal capital had to be safe. Attack from the air was not a serious concern, but attack from the sea was a real threat. Australia’s capital could not be on the coast, subject to enemy bombardment, but it still needed some sort of port access (hence the Commonwealth lands at Jervis Bay).
Finally, the site had to be worthy to be the capital of a great nation. It had to be uncontaminated by industry or previous major urban development. Ample water was essential, to supply the needs of residents and to create ‘ornamental waters’ for recreation and aesthetic effect. Ideally, it would have some surrounding mountains to provide a grand setting.
In short, the city required a design and a designer whose ideas matched the aspirations of the new nation and its democratic form of government. And it had to come as close as possible to an ‘ideal city’ in modern town planning terms.
Location: The above information reflects on how Canberra and the location of parliament came about. Main points of interest were the principles put in place for the location but also setting guide lines for the theoritical side of design e.g. "site had to be worthy to be the capital of a great nation".
What is interesting, is how did these principles came about? Based on what frame work were these decisions made? Maybe the future of parliament can be based off similar strategies.
References:
http://www.capithetical.com.au/the-competition/#task
http://www.idealcity.org.au/a_nation_needs-4-choosing_location.html
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