As you can see by the amount of cranes circling the city, development is on overdrive in Brisbane. With a record number of Skyscrapers under construction or being planned, the city's skyline will change dramatically over the next ten years!
And as long as the finished product is an attractive piece of design, then I welcome these structures with open arms!
You see, for a long time Brisbane has suffered with a 'Backward Trend' when it comes to Design and Detail. There are many ugly buildings that should never have been approved, the STATE LAW Building dubbed 'Gotham City' is still after all these years downright unattractive. So is Toowong Tower, Roma Street Transit Centre, Lennons Hotel and so on!!
As we slowly evolve, the city and it's landscape is changing for the better, my Grandparents would roll over in the graves if they saw their hometown the way it is today, but I welcome change and I welcome tall buildings. They're sexy, shiny and are the foundation for the future.
What Brisbane is lacking is some much needed renovating. Elizabeth Street should be a major shopping stretch, but instead, it's nothing more then an ugly piece of road that no-one cares about. As I've said before, all we need is this entire block to be resurrected. How wonderful would it be to see BALLY, GUCCI or FERRAGAMO open in where the Mitre 10 store is, it's such a gorgeous building and it would thrive as a High End Shopping Precinct!
Another destination I'm excited about is the NEWSTEAD PARK Development. If done well, this could create an urban wonderland. Not done right, it could be another WESTFIELD or PORTSIDE. Developers need to step out of their comfort zone and be daring. No Coles or Woolworths, No Mega-Chain stores and definetly No Mediocre Eateries.
For a long time we have been promised a bigger, better Fortitude Valley, but nothing seems to be happen. The TCB Building opened, and soon after fell off the radar, the Brunswick Street Mall still looks cheap and tawdry and GPO should just be closed down! Politicians called The Valley, Brisbane's answer to Soho, New York. Unfortunetly, they were wrong!
I understand the most important thing about the Valley is it's past, and I understand that we need to preserve it's raw edge, but we also should be bringing it into the 21st Century. The GPO should have been our version of Sydney's ESTABLISHMENT or Melbourne's PRINCE COMPLEX, but over the years, it's turned into nothing more then a Frat House, and that's sad!
What the Valley needs is an Arthouse Cinema, more trees and a complete renovation of the McWhirters retail areas. If that building was respected the way it deserves to be, then it could have been amazing, instead it's completely forgettable and dirty. I spent most of my youth in the Valley, and now today, as an adult I still head there. I love the vibrancy and the fact there is no arrogance, but it does need an (overdue) injection of good design and arcitecture.
I was born and bred in Brisbane, and I promote it everyday. I've travelled extensively throughout the world and I still think we have alot of potential. We are never going to be New York or Berlin or even Sydney, but with a little TLC, some decent creativity and originality, we could only but soar!
To all the Developers, Architects, Designers and Business Owners, now is the time to kick arse!
On your marks..................
5 comments:
I hear ya brother! In my days of going out, in the Valley, I have kissed a many young lads on the stairs of Ricks and I have fallen down the same stairs many times. Denise @ Capalaba
I Agree. The Valley as great as it is, needs some sort of shake up. The TCB is a huge dissappointment and McWhirters is a white elephant!
Your idea about Elizabeth Street is great!
Elizabeth Street could be amazing, your right, but it will never happen. McWhirters could be incredible, but it never will and GPO, as you said, should be turned into Apartments. such a shame.
Brisbane has needs an injection of style when it comes to buildings.
Blow up the pokies, that's were you start..
Chick Freak
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