Sometimes we look without really taking in what’s around us. Rushing about your daily business in the streets of the CBD, ever wondered what really goes on in the hidden spaces of St Paul's Cathedral, the Arts Centre, or the State Library of Victoria? As part of the
State of Design Festival,
Melbourne Open House (MOH) 2009 gives us the chance to step inside and take a good look.
On Sunday 19 July, MOH is providing free access to dozens of the city's fantastic public and private spaces. Last year more than 30,000 visits were made when MOH threw open the doors of eight buildings. This year, the public can enjoy a much greater range of more than 30 buildings. Even more visitors are expected this year, so be smart and plan your day to avoid missing out on having a good old-fashioned stickybeak at some fabulous secret spaces.
Visitors will again have access to favourites from 2008 as well as new additions which are otherwise hidden from public view. These include eye-catching Storey Hall, a back-of-house tour of bustling Federation Square and The Gauge at Docklands.
Trams connect most of the buildings and make it easy to get from one to the other. MOH volunteers will be present at each building offering advice to visitors. (MOH are still keen to round up more
volunteers, check the site for details.) Federation Square is the event’s nerve centre, with a lot of buildings within walking distance.
Be sure to explore
Queen’s Hall at the State Library of Victoria. The space was the library’s main reading room until 1913 and a splendid example of 19th-century interiors. The art deco splendour of the Manchester Unity building, the ‘Chicagoesque’ style of the
Capitol Theatre designed by Walter Burley Griffin, and a restaurant-kitchen tour of Jamie Oliver and Tobie Puttock's
Fifteen are certainly worth a peek. A full
list of buildings opening their doors for all to frolick about inside (sensibly, of course) is available online with more details to come.
Train your cameras on the MOH sites on the day and enter your best photos in the MOH
competition. Photos will be judged by celebrated architectural photographers John Grollings and Dianne Snape and there's a chance to win prizes and have your snaps published. Photos should be uploaded to the MOH group on flickr.com by 2 August 2009. Click here to download the
entry form and competition rules.
