The Victorian government has unveiled a new memorial for victims and survivors of family violence in Melbourne’s St Andrews Place.
Designed by Muir and Openwork, the memorial eschews traditional notions of monuments and instead creates “landscaped rooms” where people can gather and reflect.
The site is a triangular shaped patch of lawn adjacent to Melbourne’s parliamentary precinct, opposite the Fitzroy gardens.
The designers created a fold in the landscape of the sloping site to create a landscaped platform. Thin black steel walls “define and hold the memorial” carving out spaces for “procession, congregation and reflection,” architect Amy Muir explained while presenting the project at The Architecture Symposium: Beyond the Building.
A field of purple flowers consisting of many species blooms all year round.
Image: Peter Bennetts
A small seating area is created under the canopy of an existing English elm tree. And accessible paths divert focus of the site away from the “strong presence” of the neighbouring Commonwealth building, the first building constructed in Melbourne to house the Commonwealth government.
“Our task was to provide a space that gives people permission to occupy it and lets them feel safe once they are there,” said Openwork director Mark Jacques while discussing the project at the symposium.
A field of purple flowers surrounding the walls is designed to bloom all year round with several species blosoming at different times of the year. The colour is significant for its connection to the purple ribbon movement, which raises awareness for the prevention of domestic and family violence.
Accessible paths lead to a seated area under the canopy of an existing English elm tree.
Image: Peter Bennetts
The design team consulted with victim survivor groups as well as Traditional Owners. A smoking vessel placed at the end of a pathway is etched with the words manifested from conversations with Traditional Owners: “Ngarru biik marrna Guliny dillbadin,” which means “lore of the land keeps people safe.”
Jennifer Jackson, chair of the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council said, “We know that this memorial will mean different things to different people. It is a place to honour those who have lost their lives to family violence and all victim-survivors. It is a place to reflect, take comfort, and hope for a future free from violence. It is a place to remember that we all have a role to play in ending all forms of family violence and violence against women.”
