CH2's Rooftop Garden: Success or Failure?

Standing at the corner of Little Collins and Swanston Street, Council House 2 (CH2) is one of the most inspiring, environmentally friendly buildings in Melbourne. It is described as the "Eco-Office Block of the Future" and has been awarded a 6 Green Star Rating (as discussed in a previous post.) So, when I learnt that CH2 was opening up its rooftop garden to the public during Melbourne Open House 2010, I was intrigued! Given the strong environmental focus of the building, I expected an exemplary rooftop garden that would be the project's crowning glory! 

Despite my enthusiasm for the rest of the building, I was very disappointed by the rooftop garden. The City of Melbourne's website claims that the rooftop garden "...blurs the boundaries between art and horticulture." There was not very much horticulture (the plants visible in these photos are about the extent of it), and I could not see much of the so-called art! In the photo below, you can see the rock wall feature, whereby a number of rocks have been stuck onto the lurid yellow walls. Artistically, this seems quite naïve, and looks more like a tacky rock-climbing wall than a blending of art and horticulture!  

Secondly, according to the official website and our tour leader, the garden aims to transcend its urban environment and reflect the Bush. This clichéd theme has already been done to death by every tourism campaign, national airline company, and pretty much anyone else in need of a 'safe' theme for a garden, foyer, parade or exhibition! Unfortunately, CH2 lacks the creativity that could have led to a fresh and interesting reinterpretation of this theme. I also think it is a shame that CH2 did not consider adopting a more original theme altogether. Melbourne has plenty of iconic characteristics that could have inspired a better result. Meanwhile, if one looks overseas for inspiration, there are plenty of rooftop gardens which have reflected the unique characteristics of their location in an original, artistic and environmentally friendly way. In the USA, for example, the grassy, undulating rooftop of the Californian Academy of Sciences building reflects the iconic, hilly topography of San Francisco (photo below). This clever design also contributes to the 'greenness' of the entire building. Using the natural process of cooling air as it flows downhill, the cool air is then sucked down towards the glass ceiling which is opened at night to allow for natural ventilation and cooling of the whole building.

While the Californian Academy of Sciences had a much larger space (and budget) with which to work, there are examples of rooftop gardens in Melbourne that show the exciting possibilities that are achievable here. One of my favourites is the ultra-stylish Origin Energy rooftop garden at 278 Flinders Lane. Instead of rehashing old, clichéd themes, it uses its own brand as inspiration and emphasises innovation and sustainability. The garden is seamlessly segmented into different sections - high and low, public and private, sunlit and shaded. The video below gives a sense of how expertly this space has been used with regard to practicality, aesthetics and the environment (and yes the landscape designer interviewed is Jamie Durie..)

Origin Energy Rooftop Garden (278 Flinders Lane)
Photo Credit: Linking Landmark Email Newsletter #39 (from www.landmarkpro.com.au)

Although I do not believe that the CH2 rooftop garden is reaching its potential, I am still excited by the possibility for its improvement and hope that more rooftop gardens will spring up around the city! Australia has been very slow in creating rooftop gardens compared to the rest of the world. Other countries have made foliage mandatory on any new, flat-roof buildings (in Germany, this has been encouraged since the 1960s and became law in 1989). The benefits of 'green roofs' are numerous: they reduce energy consumption by lowering heat absorption of buildings; reduce stormwater run-offs; provide carbon offset; beautify urban areas; and, when made into gardens, can be used for recreation by city inhabitants/workers. Here are some magnificent examples of  green rooftops and gardens  from around the world! 

Chicago's City Hall  
Photo Credit: National Geographic

419 Lafayette Street, Lower Manhattan, New York City

Near the Arc de Triomphe, Paris 

Mountain Equipment Co-Op Building, Toronto, Canada (1998)

 ACROS Fukuoka Building, Japan (1995)

With inspiration from around the world, I would love to see lots of original, exciting rooftop gardens spring up in Melbourne. As the director of the International Green Roof Association, Wolfgang Ansel, says, "if we steal the ground for a building we can give it back to nature on the roof!" What do you think about CH2's rooftop garden - is it currently a success or a failure? Have you seen any other interesting rooftop gardens around Melbourne (or anywhere else in the world?)

Links:

Click here for my previous post on Council House 2 (and the beautiful building that stood before it!)

Click here for more posts on the Melbourne Open House 2010 event!

Click here for more incredible rooftop garden images from around the world!

References:

City of Melbourne Website: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Environment/CH2/aboutch2/Pages/RoofLandscape.aspx

Green Building Council of Australia Website: http://www.gbca.org.au/media-centre/it-doesnt-get-much-greener/1218.htm

Melbourne Open House 2010 Official Brochure 

Tour guide talks 

Californian Academy of Sciences Website: http://www.calacademy.org/

Origin Energy Website: www.www.originenergy.com.au/ 

National Geographic Website: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2009/05/green-roofs/cook-photography

Then and Now: Little Collins Street Looking West

Then: Marc Strizic, ca. 1950-59, Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria 

Now: My own photo, 2010

Mark Strizic's photo offers us an interesting glimpse of Melbourne in the 1950s. The left-hand side of Little Collins Street remains relatively unchanged: both photos show the Victoria Hotel; the side facade of the Melbourne Town Hall; and the gleaming Century Building in the distance. Meanwhile, the right-hand side of the street is virtually unrecognisable! Where the Hunt Hotel and beautiful Town Hall Chambers used to stand, we can now see Council House 2 (CH2) and a car park entrance. 

The Century Building is one of my favourite Art Deco buildings in Melbourne. You can see this bright-white building on the left side of Little Collins Street, just over Swanston Street, in both photographs. It is remarkable how prominent it appears in the older photo whereas its effect is somewhat mitigated these days. The ANZ Building in the distant background dwarfs it and, to me, it seems less impressive as a result. Having said that, it is not necessarily as tall of a building as it might seem, even in the earlier photo. An optical illusion is actually created by the corner tower and vertically elongated window patterns. 

Also featuring in both photos is the Victoria Hotel (left-hand side of the street).  The sign for the restaurant of the hotel can be seen in Strizic's photo. Opened for business in 1880, the Victoria Hotel is one of the oldest in Melbourne. It was originally known as the Victoria Coffee Palace (thanks to Jan S for the tip!) as it was founded by a Temperance League. Coffee palaces were a relatively common alternative to hotels during the early years in Melbourne. Like hotels, they offered accommodation and dining features but, crucially, did not serve alcohol. In order to keep afloat, many of the coffee palaces eventually obtained liquor licenses and transformed into hotels. Meanwhile, the Victoria Coffee Palace was profitable for such a long time that it made the switch only relatively recently in 1967. According to the hotel's website, the facade was repainted in "heritage cream" in 2000. To me, it seems more like a horrible mustard colour which does no favours for the exterior of the building. I cannot understand why they made this choice... Does anybody like this?

The Victoria Coffee Palace (1880)

 http://www.victoriahotel.com.au/Content_Common/pg-image-gallery.seo

Also worth a mention is the environmentally friendly Council House 2 (aka CH2) which I have already posted on in more detail (click to it read here). You can see the side facade of this building on the right of Little Collins Street in the new photo. Particularly visible are the so-called Shower Towers (the greyish, transparent tubes, attached vertically to the wall). These are an integral part of the building's innovative cooling system. Instead of using regular (and energy consuming) air-conditioning, water showers down from the top of the tube and the process of evaporation somehow cools the water and air. This air is then sucked from the tube to enter the building! If you are interested in the more scientific and detailed explanation, take a look at the following information on the Council's website by clicking here! 

Shower Tower of Council House 2 

 http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Environment/CH2/aboutch2/Pages/CoolingSystem.aspx

References

The City of Melbourne Website: http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/Environment/CH2/Pages/CH2Ourgreenbuilding.aspx 

The Victoria Hotel Website: http://www.victoriahotel.com.au/Content_Common/pg-our-history.seo  

Walking Melbourne Database: http://www.walkingmelbourne.com/ 

A Happy Ending: Corner of Swanston and Little Collins Streets

Then: Town Hall Chambers, 1968 

Now: Small Square, Cafe and Council House 2 (CH2), 2010

The photo on the left shows the beautifully ornate Town Hall Chambers in 1968, just before its demolition. In fact, an ominous sign can be seen on the second floor declaring, 'Whelan is Here' - a reference to Whelan the Wrecker, the demolition company. This sign became ubiquitous around the city during the demolition spree of the 1960s - 70s which saw the destruction of many of the most historically valuable buildings in Melbourne.  On the right, we can now see Council House 2 (CH2), which was built in 2006. This is an exciting, environmentally friendly building which houses the City of Melbourne Council offices. In front sits a small square and cafe. 

Photo Credits Left: K. J. Halla, 1968, Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria; Right: My own, 2010 

If the Town Hall Chambers had been destroyed in order to make way for the incredible, 'green' CH2 building, its demolition might have been easier to accept. But this was not the case. When the Chambers were destroyed in 1968, we can assume that 'green' buildings were quite some time away from the minds of architects of the time. Instead, the Chambers were destroyed only for the site to be left vacant! After a while, a car park was built on the land, but from what I've read this seemed more like an afterthought. Even so, whenever a horrible, concrete car park replaces one of these beautiful old buildings I think it is crazy! Perhaps I have the benefit of living in a time where underground car parking is possible (which limits the effect on the building atop), but it just seems like such an incredible waste! It looked like this beautiful building had been destroyed for nothing. 

This is especially so when one discovers the astounding beauty and heritage-value of the original building: Built in 1890, it was originally the offices of the T&G Assurance Society. In 1929, it became known as the Town Hall Chambers (the Town Hall is just on the other side of Little Collins Street). In terms of its aesthetics, the building was a stunning Victorian version of a Second Empire building. This means that it was reminiscent of the Parisian buildings from around 1865-80. As can be seen in the photo below, the facade was beautifully ornate and intricate. You may notice the Mansard roof, Dormer windows and the stunning Mannerist facade which runs along Little Collins Street. 

Photo Credit  K. J. Halla, 1968, Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria 

Below, there is another perspective on the same site. This was taken from Swanston Street looking north towards Little Collins Street. On the very right hand side of both pictures you can see the edge of the Melbourne Town Hall. In the centre where the Town Hall Chambers stand in the old photo, you can see a small square and the umbrellas of a cafe. 

Photo Credits Left: K. J. Halla, 1968, Picture Collection, State Library of Victoria; Right: My own, 2010 

Despite the heartbreaking demolition of the Chambers, the site has seen a happy ending after all. It is wonderful that almost 40 years after its destruction, it has finally been replaced with a very worthy and exciting building. The ABC show Catalyst described CH2 as the "Eco Office-Block of the Future" and it is easy to see why: the building uses 15% less energy than regular buildings and 30% less water. The architect, Mick Pearce, laments that we have become accustomed to constructing post-modern, "glass box" skyscrapers and consequently rely too heavily on air-conditioning to keep offices comfortable. By contrast, CH2 is inspired by ecological heating and cooling systems and, as such, it works with nature not against it. For example, the recycled timber shutters on the exterior of the building open and close depending on the sun. This is an automatic system which rotates constantly throughout the day. It is worth walking past at different times during the day to see the changes. This is just one of the many innovative designs which comprise this incredible building. If you are interested in the other features you can access the official website by clicking here.

Photo Credit City of Melbourne Council Website, found at http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/AboutCouncil/MediaCentre/ImageGallery/Pages/CH2imagegallery.aspx

Melbourne was once internationally recognised for its state-of-the-art architecture. Regrettably, we faltered with the demolition spree of the 60s and 70s. But wouldn't it be fantastic if we could show that we've learnt from our mistakes and can rebuild our city's international reputation? To me, CH2 represents a promising step towards this goal: it is visually pleasing; innovative; effective; and, crucially in this day and age, environmentally friendly. 

References

Catalyst Story Archive, found at: http://www.abc.net.au/catalyst/stories/s1901482.htm 

City of Melbourne Council Website, found at http://www.melbourne.vic.gov.au/environment/ch2/Pages/CH2Ourgreenbuilding.aspx

Walking Melbourne Database, found at: http://www.walkingmelbourne.com/building541_town-hall-chambers.html