The Hall of Democracy aims to fill a need in the community for more trust and transparency within the democratic system in Australia today. Over time the democratic system has strayed from its core values and needs to be visually reinvigorated and reinvented to dramatically shift the public’s perception. The proposed Hall of Democracy will be a place where the people of Queensland can gather, grow and progress new visions for democracy and the future, and be a place for the public to react, interact and take action on all matters of governing importance.
Democracy is a complex and unresolved concept throughout the world. Effecting a large majority of the world’s population, yet only every truly touching a limited few. The Hall of Democracy disregards prevalent misconceptions and seeks to explore and counter problematic ideologies at their most primitive level. Democracy is fundamentally the designation of adjudication responsibilities to publicly selected representations. The election process is designed to be inclusive and undiscriminating, however most decisions made beyond the point of election, never engage the public to the same level, and instead tend to elude the public spotlight.
The void in information is often overlooked, however the Hall of Democracy aims to challenge this existing standard by affording spaces that engage users on past, current and future, local, state and federal government initiatives, verdicts and legislation, as well as hosting international political events and movements in an unfiltered and impartial manner, a place of difference, inspiring change.
This concept draws its roots from Speakers Corner, a prominent existing space outside the Queensland Parliament in Brisbane’s CBD. Speakers corner was dedicated in 2010 and was a space “devoted to encouraging Queenslanders to speak out and engage in open and vigorous debate”. Over the years this space has become a space of diatribe conversation, and the engagement between elected officials and the public has dwindled. The proposal is a series of spaces designed for dialogue and debate in a range of intimacies, revitalizing the core values of Speakers corner, and Democracy.
Brisbane City today is an ever-evolving civic centre with newfound emphasis on creating an inviting, inclusive user-friendly urban landscape. The Hall of Democracy is a pivotal addition to the cities vision and directive, its design focuses on enhancing existing and future neighbouring spaces, providing a pedestrian friendly landscape with interconnected corridors that intersect the Hall’s built footprint. The proposed design is influenced by both existing, new and future developments, such as The Mansions, Botanical Gardens, Queensland Parliament, 1 William St and Queens Wharf Brisbane. The Halls introduction looks to effectively integrate with the ever-changing urban character or Brisbane, creating a building that will adapt to its surroundings as Brisbane evolves.
The Hall of Democracy function revolves around spaces of discussion and engagement at all scales. Large scale discussion is accommodated through the large auditorium space, providing a discussion space for up to 250 people. A centre for Community Engagement provides spaces for small scale discussion for groups of up to 50 people, the centre consists of 4 medium task rooms and a larger work room, for both informal and formal discussion. Brisbane Communal provides an informal space for general discussion, providing a lunchroom welcoming all.
The activated ground plane consists of 4 retail / hospitality tenancies, a gallery and a new Brisbane Info Center designed to provide education and tourism opportunities. With green space in Brisbane being a precious commodity, the roof plane is transformed into a rooftop terrace, providing a relaxed community space to distance the user from the bustle of the CBD. At its core Democracy is for the people, by the people, and the Hall of Democracy provides a space for the people to both engage with democracy and the community.
Democracy is a complex and unresolved concept throughout the world. Effecting a large majority of the world’s population, yet only every truly touching a limited few. The Hall of Democracy disregards prevalent misconceptions and seeks to explore and counter problematic ideologies at their most primitive level. Democracy is fundamentally the designation of adjudication responsibilities to publicly selected representations. The election process is designed to be inclusive and undiscriminating, however most decisions made beyond the point of election, never engage the public to the same level, and instead tend to elude the public spotlight.
The void in information is often overlooked, however the Hall of Democracy aims to challenge this existing standard by affording spaces that engage users on past, current and future, local, state and federal government initiatives, verdicts and legislation, as well as hosting international political events and movements in an unfiltered and impartial manner, a place of difference, inspiring change.
This concept draws its roots from Speakers Corner, a prominent existing space outside the Queensland Parliament in Brisbane’s CBD. Speakers corner was dedicated in 2010 and was a space “devoted to encouraging Queenslanders to speak out and engage in open and vigorous debate”. Over the years this space has become a space of diatribe conversation, and the engagement between elected officials and the public has dwindled. The proposal is a series of spaces designed for dialogue and debate in a range of intimacies, revitalizing the core values of Speakers corner, and Democracy.
Brisbane City today is an ever-evolving civic centre with newfound emphasis on creating an inviting, inclusive user-friendly urban landscape. The Hall of Democracy is a pivotal addition to the cities vision and directive, its design focuses on enhancing existing and future neighbouring spaces, providing a pedestrian friendly landscape with interconnected corridors that intersect the Hall’s built footprint. The proposed design is influenced by both existing, new and future developments, such as The Mansions, Botanical Gardens, Queensland Parliament, 1 William St and Queens Wharf Brisbane. The Halls introduction looks to effectively integrate with the ever-changing urban character or Brisbane, creating a building that will adapt to its surroundings as Brisbane evolves.
The Hall of Democracy function revolves around spaces of discussion and engagement at all scales. Large scale discussion is accommodated through the large auditorium space, providing a discussion space for up to 250 people. A centre for Community Engagement provides spaces for small scale discussion for groups of up to 50 people, the centre consists of 4 medium task rooms and a larger work room, for both informal and formal discussion. Brisbane Communal provides an informal space for general discussion, providing a lunchroom welcoming all.
The activated ground plane consists of 4 retail / hospitality tenancies, a gallery and a new Brisbane Info Center designed to provide education and tourism opportunities. With green space in Brisbane being a precious commodity, the roof plane is transformed into a rooftop terrace, providing a relaxed community space to distance the user from the bustle of the CBD. At its core Democracy is for the people, by the people, and the Hall of Democracy provides a space for the people to both engage with democracy and the community.