This project aims to enrich the community of Brunswick, Melbourne by utilising disused sites and former industrial areas as temporary Urban Platforms for exhibiting art. Through an adaptable set of modular elements, the project will migrate from site to site, transforming each host site into a temporary public space and cultural forum.

          Brunswick once attracted artists from around Australia for its affordable rent. With rapid densification and gentrification, affordability has declined – jeopardising the rich artistic community that is central to Brunswick’s identity.

          Urban Platforms simultaneously addresses two problems; the lack of accessible and affordable spaces to exhibit art, and the plethora of vacant industrial sites left behind by socio-economic fluctuations. The project proposes to transform such sites into temporary public spaces. As property developers move in, Urban Platforms will migrate, packing up and adapting to the next host site.

          The initial host site for Urban Platforms is the former Brunswick Liquorice Factory site. Located adjacent to Brunswick Station, this site acts as a gateway to Brunswick, guiding pedestrians through a linear outdoor gallery and public space. The project consists of a series of modular elements; platforms, ramps, lights, seats, walls, and plinths. The platforms become the new ground, allowing the existing ecology to thrive; they can be levelled to suit any terrain; and ramps provide accessibility. Remaining elements slot into the platforms and can be reconfigured to suit each event.

          Ultimately, the project aims to become a catalyst, to utilise these sites for cultural outcomes rather than solely economic investments.