The Queen Victoria Market (QVM) was chosen as our site for revitalisation. As a landmark site in the heart of Melbourne city, the QVM currently serves as a culinary centre bringing in both residents and tourists alike for the fresh produce, meat, seafood, specialty foods, and general merchandise. The QVM however is only open five days a week during specified hours leaving the market an unused “dead” space. The municipal goverment recently recognised this under-utilised space as an opportunity for public interaction during off-market hours by transforming it into the “Federation Square of the North”. We build on this idea with the concept of turning the QVM inside out with the use of media facades, specifically interactive smokescreens.
In addition to reading background information on the QVM and the original Federation Square, individual and group interviews were conducted with 11 participants to explore and assess user thoughts and feedback on the current state and proposed plan for redevelopment. The results from these interviews were used to inform the design process. The main themes that emerged from the data analysis are listed below:
- The pillared semi-segmented arcade design of the QVM prevented a good view into and around the market, in contrast to the open plan of Federation Square
- The brick buildings and sheltered spaces made it difficult to see what, if anything, was going on at the market from outside
- Food was a defining element of the QVM that should be carried through into the redevelopment plans
- Although participants felt including a museum and educational aspect were interesting, it was not something that would prompt them to revisit the site
Our design intervention for revitalising the unused space of QVM involves the use of projectors and sensors mounted in the awnings. The projectors would be used after-hours to create games in the space such as hopscotch. Smoke screens will provide the backing for other projections acting as video conferencing between not only Federation Square, but between sections of the market itself. In this way, the space is opened up and become more like the highly successful Federation Square. The projection technology can also be applied to the outside of QVM to alert passers by what is going on inside.
Future research includes collaborating with the Melbourne City Council to conduct a wider survey with the local community and visitors of the QVM for greater feedback on redevelopment plans as well as determining the feasibility of our design intervention.
Abstract
The Queen Victoria Market (QVM) was chosen as our site for revitalisation. As a landmark site in the heart of Melbourne city, the QVM currently serves as a culinary centre bringing in both residents and tourists alike for the fresh produce, meat, seafood, specialty foods, and general merchandise. The QVM however is only open five days a week during specified hours leaving the market an unused “dead” space. The municipal government recently recognised this under-utilised space as an opportunity for public interaction during off-market hours (night) by transforming it into the “Federation Square of the North”. We build on this idea with the concept of turning the QVM inside out with the use of media facades, specifically interactive smokescreens.
In addition to reading background information on the QVM and the original Federation Square, individual and group interviews were conducted with 11 participants to explore and assess user thoughts and feedback on the current state and proposed plan for redevelopment. The results from these interviews were used to inform the design process.
The main themes that emerged from the data analysis are listed below:
● The pillared semi-segmented arcade design of the QVM prevented a good view into and around the market, in contrast to the open plan of Federation Square
● The brick buildings and sheltered spaces made it difficult to see what, if anything, was going on at the market from outside
● Food was a defining element of the QVM that should be carried through into the redevelopment plans
Although participants felt including a museum and educational aspect were interesting, it was not something that would prompt them to revisit the site. Our design intervention for revitalising the unused space of QVM involves the use of projectors and sensors mounted in the awnings. The projectors would be used after-hours to create games in the space such as hopscotch. Smoke screens will provide the backing for other projections acting as video conferencing between not only Federation Square, but between sections of the market itself. In this way, the space is opened up and become more like the highly successful Federation Square. The projection technology can also be applied to the outside of QVM to alert passers by what is going on inside.
Future research includes collaborating with the Melbourne City Council to conduct a wider survey with the local community and visitors of the QVM for greater feedback on redevelopment plans as well as determining the feasibility of our design intervention.
Introduction
The Queen Victoria Market is an open-air space spread across two city blocks in the heart of Melbourne city. The market is a landmark site, rich in Melbourne’s cultural history.
The site was created as Melbourne’s first official cemetery from 1837 to 1854. Since then, the Queen Victoria market has undergone many transformations, from a livestock and wholesale fruit and vegetable market to its current state as a major food and souvenir destination for both residents and tourists.
Typically open only 5 days a week from the early morning to mid-late afternoon, the Queen Victoria Market becomes an unused “dead” space off hours and on public holidays with the appearance and feel of an empty covered parking lot. The site has recently been recognised for its social and cultural opportunities during this down time. Organizations such as Multicultural Arts Victoria have started hosting weekly cultural entertainment nights such as the Suzuki Night Market.
Melbourne City Council announced this past May an ambitious $14.4 million redevelopment plan of inner city Melbourne recognizing quote “the need for a blueprint to transform CBD streets from thoroughfares into civic spaces.” end quote. The ambitious plans propose turning one of the major streets adjacent to the market into a pedestrian precinct in the city council’s desire of quote “Re-imagining an under utilised but prominent and public infrastructural space” end quote.
The original Federation Square is a arts and culture landmark located on the south side of the Melbourne CBD. While the Queen Victoria Market is steeped in 130yrs of history with its heritage architecture and social past, Federation Square has undergone numerous changes with its current building and landscape architecture barely a decade old. The design of the square was to make it a place of social gathering and public interaction. It’s open design, central location, open late bars and restaurants, arts and culture focus, and effective integration of technology have drawn people into the Square at all hours of the day.
Unlike Federation Square which was built from the ground up, the Queen Victoria Market is a recognized heritage site consisting of closed and sheltered spaces built and retained from the late 1880s to early 1900s. The Lower Market consists of an interesting facade at the entrance of the seafood and meat market and the surrounding brick buildings that lead into the deli and produce hall. The Upper Market, originally the site of the cemetery, now has the A-F sheds that sell predominantly fruit, vegetables, and general merchandise.
Bringing together Queen Victoria Market’s existing closed and sheltered architecture with the notion of social interaction would require creating an environment that would pique the interest of the general public and encourage them to enter the site beyond market hours.
We propose revitalising the Queen Victoria Market site by turning it inside out and showing people on the outside what is going on within. This would be achieved with the use of media facades, specifically interactive smokescreens, that would tie together not only the past and present of the Queen Victoria Market but also connect Federation Square to this proposed
“Federation Square of the North”.
Method
We commenced our project with a traditional brainstorming session involving a whiteboard and group discussion. We came across problems with defining a few of the key terms from the design brief. We decided to crowd-source some definitions and ideas on direction. Our team members tweeted, posted, and generally broadcasted requests for people to define the key terms in the design brief. This process seemed effective in moving the brainstorming forward and providing ongoing inspiration.
We conducted a mix of individual, contextual and group interviews to gather data on how users thought the under-utilised space in the Queen Victoria Market could be used to make it the “Federation Square of the North”. These interviews helped to inform our design process.
The structure of the interviews were drawn from literature on both focus groups and group interviews (Morgan, 1996; Krueger, 2000, Fontana, 2005). Krueger argued that focus groups are useful for understanding the differences between groups. This feature made focus groups a particularly appropriate research method for the inherently public space being studied. Such public spaces attract a wide range of cross-segments from broader society and the differences in opinion must be factored into any design decisions.
Participants were sourced from a sample of friends of the design team, there were a total of 11 participants. Interviews were video recorded.
The first group interview was a contextual one conducted on site at the market where we presented our first ideas from the design brief. The remaining interviews specifically explored participants’ views on the redevelopment of the site and were conducted in the IDEA lab of the University of Melbourne and over Skype. Interviews typically lasted between 10 to 15 minutes.
Background information on the Queen Victoria Market and Federation Square was also gathered from publicly available online (eg http://www.fedsquare.com and http://www.qvm.com.au). Peer reviewed articles partially dealing with the two spaces were also sought to augment this information.
Data analysis was an interesting experience given the quick nature of the data gathering.
Our methods could best be described as an extra light Grounded theory with a whiteboard.
Results
The major themes that came out of the interviews:
Firstly, participants contrasted the open space of Federation Square to the closed off space and segmented space of the Victoria Markets. The open space of Federation Square allows visitors to see what people in other parts of the square are doing or about to do. It allows events held in the space to sprawl into surrounding areas such as the nearby river shore.
This was contrasted to the large covered space of the markets. The market lends itself to having stalls and semi-segmented spaces [see Pete interview]. Being amongst an extremely large Forrest of pillars makes it difficult to see what was it going on in other parts of the market.
Secondly, participants noted that it was not easy to see what was going on at the Market from outside - for example when driving past. This has much to do with a traditional need to shelter food and produce from the elements. In an age of preservatives and better horticulture it is now passers-by who are being sheltered from a community space. This was particular evident during times when the night market was open. It is possible to pass by the space and not know it is on. Surprisingly, participants consistently suggested big bright and flashing lights to advertise when something, such as a night-time market, was being held.
Thirdly, participants indicated a coupling of the Victoria market site with food. The site is very much associated with food and a variety of food amongst the semi-segmented stalls.
When asked about making the under-utilised space more like Federation Square participants seemed to want to keep the food focus.
Fourth, we presented the idea of having museum like exhibitions and education/learning about the history of the market site to our participants. Although this was accepted as a very good idea, participants indicated it would be something they may at most visit once a year. Although this would increase the revitalisation of the site when unused, it is not the kind of daily and consistent integrated usage in the Melbournian lifestyle we wish to achieve.
Design Solution
There are eight parallel sheds which make up the external site of the QVM. The design
solution is time-based making the site multipurpose depending on the time of day and the occasion if there is one.
Sheds A and B are for event-based interactions (e.g. gigs, theatrical performances). Sheds C to E will be primarily dedicated to educate various age groups about the history of the Queen Victoria Market using games and other playful activities. The intention is to use the floors and walls as augmented media facades, making them interactive using projectors, sensors and speakers mounted from the awnings (such as those onscreen and in places currently un-used).
In addition to creating media facades on solid structures, our solution also involves
projections onto transient smoke screens. These smoke screens are jets of artificial smoke
blown down from the unused rafters of the market sheds. The smoke is translucent enough for observers to see people on the other side, but catch enough light to act as projection screens. This allows the smoke screens to be reconfigured quickly and perhaps automatically depending on the events occurring at the site.
The smoke screens will display content on the history of QVM in an interactive and novel way. This will be achieved by mashing up old content (e.g. national archive photos of the site) and new content captured during interactions between physical and virtual participants.
The cameras surrounding the screens capture the image of its audience as they pass
through the smoke screen, making them a part of the ongoing history of the venue. The captured imagery will be automatically uploaded to the QVM website so those outside of the physical space can engage with it through virtual means, or see themselves or friends and family.
The second major use of the smoke screen projections is to allow users to interact and communicate with others across the marketplace. This addresses the need to make the semi-segmented spaces of the market more like the open spaces of Federation Square, as discussed in our first finding from participant interviews. The ‘meat market’ section on Queen St. also supports interaction with others located across the city in Federation Square, reinforcing the links between the two major landmark sites based on the Melbourne City.
Council’s intention to make QVM the “Federation Square of the North”. A person standing in Fed Square can be captured on a video camera there and projected to the QVM site, and vice versa.
Smoke screen projections can be ‘turned off’ to utilise interactive floors within the same spaces. Playful areas encourage interaction with other visitors for example playing hopscotch with either their group of friends or others. The hopscotch game could be played with those at Federation Square, encouraging gaming over a distance or co-located physical gaming. This allows the areas to have ever-changing games and attract visitors to frequent the venue after the traditional market hours and days. Interactive floors can also be utilised for various events to allow feedback from dance performances, facilitate street dancing and interactions and enhance events interactions with the performers and the audience.
Continuing the idea of turning the site inside out, the main facade of the QVM building
facing Elizabeth & Victoria St. will display ‘projection bombing’-style Twitter feeds sent from those active inside as a way of enticing the public to venture inside and engage with the space e.g. “the band in Shed B is great!”. This information will also be shared to the QVM website. Information about the marketplace’s next trading times will also appear prominently as a projection (or using another display method appropriate to daylight hours) on the front of the building. The content chosen for these displays will reflect that food is still the key focus of many who visit the QVM site. Informational value is added with a meter showing how many people are in the QVM spaces at any given time, presumably with more Twitter posts appearing at this time also.
Conclusion
Future research includes collaborating with the Melbourne City Council to conduct a wider survey with the local community and visitors of the QVM for greater feedback on
redevelopment plans as well as determining the feasibility of our design intervention.
Thanks for paying attention :)
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