Wonderland by The Electric Canvas; White Night Festival 2014 – Flinders Street Railway Station, Corner Flinders Street and Swanston Street, Melbourne
Created by The Electric Canvas, Wonderland was celebrated feature of the inaugural Melbourne White Night Festival. The 2014 Wonderland consists of projections that transformed the buildings of Flinders Street once the sun set; turning the brick and concrete facades of early Twentieth Century buildings such as Flinders Street Station, the Metropolitan Gas Company building, the former Commercial Travellers Club building, the former Ball and Welch Department Store, the Masonic Club building and the former Forum and Rapallo Cinemas into brilliantly coloured canvases that showed off images of magic, carnivals, amusement parks and circuses.
The White Night Festival in Melbourne is a State Government of Victoria initiative created by the Victorian Major Events Company. Originally conceived in Paris in 2002, to make vibrant and dynamic art and culture accessible to large audiences in public spaces, Paris’ Nuit Blanche (White Night) has inspired an international network of similar programmes in over twenty cities globally, including Melbourne.
In 2013 Melbourne became the first Australian city to create its own White Night Festival, producing an all night event of light, colour and artistry. The White Night Festival, now in its second year, is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Melbourne as Australia’s international city of artistic innovation, and celebrate the city’s commitment to modern and interpretive art, music and culture.
Flinders Street Railway Station occupies a site that has been the central point of Melbourne's rail system since 1854. By the 1880s the original weatherboard makeshift buildings were considered inadequate and finally in 1899, after various plans lapsed, a competition was held for the design of station buildings and approaches. The competition was won by James Fawcett and H.P.C. Ashworth of the Railways Department. Their winning plans consisted of three floor plans and a roof plan covering the same area as the existing building along Flinders Street and substantial buildings along Swanston Street. Work commenced in 1900 by P. Rodger but was later taken over by the Railways and completed in 1910. The five storey Station complex extends for more than the length of a city block and includes offices, station facilities and platforms. The main entrance, angled across the intersection of Swanston and Flinders Streets, features a large arch and the original timetable clocks, and is surmounted by a large dome flanked by smaller cupolas. At the intersection of Elizabeth and Flinders Streets, a large clock tower rises above the building. The building was constructed of red brick with cement decoration and liberal use was made of pressed metal decoration. Flinders street is the busiest suburban railway station in the southern hemisphere even after the completion of the city loop railway subway and its 700 metre main platform is the longest in the country. Flinders Street Station is 'the' meeting place for Melburnians, expressed simply as "meet me under the clocks", a reference to the clocks above the main entrance.
Wonderland by The Electric Canvas; White Night Festival 2014 – Flinders Street Railway Station, Corner Flinders Street and Swanston Street, Melbourne
Created by The Electric Canvas, Wonderland was celebrated feature of the inaugural Melbourne White Night Festival. The 2014 Wonderland consists of projections that transformed the buildings of Flinders Street once the sun set; turning the brick and concrete facades of early Twentieth Century buildings such as Flinders Street Station, the Metropolitan Gas Company building, the former Commercial Travellers Club building, the former Ball and Welch Department Store, the Masonic Club building and the former Forum and Rapallo Cinemas into brilliantly coloured canvases that showed off images of magic, carnivals, amusement parks and circuses.
The White Night Festival in Melbourne is a State Government of Victoria initiative created by the Victorian Major Events Company. Originally conceived in Paris in 2002, to make vibrant and dynamic art and culture accessible to large audiences in public spaces, Paris’ Nuit Blanche (White Night) has inspired an international network of similar programmes in over twenty cities globally, including Melbourne.
In 2013 Melbourne became the first Australian city to create its own White Night Festival, producing an all night event of light, colour and artistry. The White Night Festival, now in its second year, is a wonderful opportunity to showcase Melbourne as Australia’s international city of artistic innovation, and celebrate the city’s commitment to modern and interpretive art, music and culture.
Flinders Street Railway Station occupies a site that has been the central point of Melbourne's rail system since 1854. By the 1880s the original weatherboard makeshift buildings were considered inadequate and finally in 1899, after various plans lapsed, a competition was held for the design of station buildings and approaches. The competition was won by James Fawcett and H.P.C. Ashworth of the Railways Department. Their winning plans consisted of three floor plans and a roof plan covering the same area as the existing building along Flinders Street and substantial buildings along Swanston Street. Work commenced in 1900 by P. Rodger but was later taken over by the Railways and completed in 1910. The five storey Station complex extends for more than the length of a city block and includes offices, station facilities and platforms. The main entrance, angled across the intersection of Swanston and Flinders Streets, features a large arch and the original timetable clocks, and is surmounted by a large dome flanked by smaller cupolas. At the intersection of Elizabeth and Flinders Streets, a large clock tower rises above the building. The building was constructed of red brick with cement decoration and liberal use was made of pressed metal decoration. Flinders street is the busiest suburban railway station in the southern hemisphere even after the completion of the city loop railway subway and its 700 metre main platform is the longest in the country. Flinders Street Station is 'the' meeting place for Melburnians, expressed simply as "meet me under the clocks", a reference to the clocks above the main entrance.