Speaking of outside art..
Melbourne is filled with some of the most inventive bridges I’ve seen in the middle of a city center. If you’re a fan of crazy, funky, modern bridges, then this is a great place for you. Even better, the bridges look totally different at night than during the day… it reminds me a lot of the art that is at Burning Man!
Seafarers Bridge across the Yarra River in Melbourne.
Most of them are beautifully situated on the Yarra river and strategically connecting downtown Melbourne with Docklands, an urban renewal project, which transformed a large disused docks into a new residential and commercial precinct for 25,000 people. You can walk around Docklands or you can hire-a-bike.
Crossing to Southbank with the Flinders walk bridge in the background.
Melbourne has added the “rent a bike” program that has become very popular in London and other cities. It’s great to find a city designed for ease of bicycle and pedestrian traffic, as well as the other forms of transportation, including the City Circle Tram — which is free for visitors.
Flinders walk bridge over the Yarra.
This bike rental system is a real genius. You can rent a bike for as low as $2.60 for 30 minutes (more for longer duration, weekly/annual/corporate passes are also available) from any rental stand scattered around the CBD and drop it off in another stand. The stands are automated. Helmets are required though. You can buy one for $5 in retail stores such as 7-Eleven.
Even the old is preserve to respect the past and accommodate the future.
Old wooden dock at one time used as a crossing bridge.
I like these cities that get all fancy with their bridges. Melbourne certainly does! Each bridge tries to out-do the next. There’s no common theme and its sort of a mish-mash of styles, to say the least.
Docklands Park before crossing the Yarra River on Webb Bridge.
I think that not everyone likes this, but I do. I don’t mind all the variety, especially from the perspective of photography not to mention the clever way urban designers have come up with a way to connect hi rise-density neighborhoods like they did in Melbourne.
Seafarers Bridge across the Yarra River in Melbourne.
It’s kind of the same way with the buildings and other decorative elements around downtown Melbourne. There are so many styles, most of which are one flavor of “modern” or “contemporary”. I enjoy mixing and matching different elements into compositions, but it is not easy. There is a challenging aspect to it that I don’t get in many other cities.
The Sandbridge, originally a railway bridge no longer in operation now serves as a pedestrian river crossing,. talking about having something old, new again. Clever!
Sandridge Railway Trail The former rail bridge over the Yarra River
The Darling of the past Princess Bridge, adding a grandiose entrance to the city from federation Square still alive and kicking with its majestic brick walls, excellent surviving examples of arch bridge technology design of the late 19th century and its unique Victorian coat-of-arm.
Princess Bridge, built on the site of one of the oldest river crossings in Australia.
I always thought that outside art was a great way to interact with visitors and tourists to your city without actually doing so. Even if they are just passing by, they see it and it evokes some kind of feelings from them about the area.
That’s a good point man,. you always see tourist having a discussion about the piece in front of them like the one in Chicago’s downtown chrome drop or something. Thanks for checking in Dick. G.
I feel like the art that I see outside in cities I visit is a communication tool. They are showing me, without telling me, that the community is into the arts and crafts that have been bringing people together for many years.
Very well said Shawn,. love that you are thinking outside the box. A community who embraces arts embraces a healthy social living. Best.
G.
I cannot believe that landscape! So many things to look at to begin with and then you add art into the mix. Great!
Melbourne its a great city, It has this incredible art culture, vibrant music scene, food and the city’s architecture its something you want to see in a city. Its like the New York of the Southern hemisphere. Thanks Jacob. G.