Park Towers (1969)
Understanding the Potential of Melbourne's High-Rise Public Housing: A Case Study of Theoretical and Applied Research
Taking a positive view of iconic high-rise public housing.
Melbourne's 44 high-rise public housing developments, built between 1962 and 1976, form a distinctive archipelago around the CBD and house approximately 10,000 people. In 2008 these towers represented ten percent of Victoria’s public housing stock.
The history.
We are excited to share Rich Austin’s research on Melbourne's iconic high-rise public housing towers, specifically focusing on Park Towers in South Melbourne. Considering the State Government's proposal to redevelop these structures, it's crucial to understand their origins and construction. Rich Austin’s 2008 research at Deakin University, supervised by Dr. Mirjana Lozanovska, delves into the history, architecture, and potential for improvement of these towers.
Architectural Intervention Strategies.
Enhancing Public Spaces and Community Integration.
This thesis explores an architectural intervention for Park Towers, a 30-storey public housing development in South Melbourne. Surrounded by underutilised open space, Park Towers lacks cohesion with its surrounding urban structure. The research is divided into three parts with four key objectives: defining a conceptual framework, conducting a detailed site analysis, and proposing a design intervention.
Outside-Inside Park Towers.
Rich Austin’s major design thesis: theoretical and applied research. Translating research findings into a comprehensive design agenda.