Melbourne’s Arts Precinct to be transformed by a new garden, Laak Boorndap

The Victorian Government has released new designs and a new name for the 18,000sqm urban garden in the centre of the Melbourne Arts Precinct Transformation.

The name, Laak Boorndap, has been bestowed to the garden by Traditional Owner, Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Language Elder, Aunty Gail Smith to recognise and honour the beautiful place that the garden will create for everyone. 

The naming of the garden is a key step in grounding visitors on Wurundjeri Country and the growing representation of First Peoples cultures across the Arts Precinct. 

“It’s not just a placename, it brings Sky Country, the heavens, and everyone back together on sacred ground,” Aunty Gail Smith said. 

The new urban garden is designed to flourish year-round, ensuring it is ever-changing and continually fostering biodiversity. The garden will feature a dynamic and multi-layered planting design using a mix of native and introduced species including carefully selected trees, perennials, grasses and flora.

The garden is designed by the Melbourne studio of international design practice Hassell and New York’s SO-IL, with internationally renowned horticulturalists Nigel Dunnett and James Hitchmough, who are working closely with plant expert Jac Semmler from Melbourne company, Super Bloom. 

The garden will bring expansive new green space to the heart of the Arts Precinct and will wrap around and connect the new The Fox: NGV Contemporary, NGV International, Arts Centre Melbourne’s Hamer Hall and Theatres Building under the Spire, and adjacent The Primrose Potter Australian Ballet Centre.

The garden will also be home to significant contemporary art including sculpture from the collections of the NGV and Arts Centre Melbourne and new artwork commissions by First Peoples. 

The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) invites Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists to submit Expressions of Interest (EOI) for the creation of permanent public artworks within Laak Boorndap. 

The two commissions – Laak Boorndap Public Art Commission and Wurundjeri Waterway Design Commission – will celebrate the rich and ongoing history of the First Peoples of this land and create a place for learning, connection, and community.

For further information about how to apply and eligibility, visit artsprecinct.melbourne/commissions. Submissions close at 3pm AEDT October 24, 2024. •