Finally! The infamous red stairs in Southbank are set to be completely redesigned
The CBD suburb of Southbank has its strengths: skyline views , beloved al fresco bars like Arbory Afloat and Ponyfish Island , and is host to Melbourne's thriving arts precinct. But admittedly, the area also has its downfalls – including a massive, red, glaringly obvious one.
The big red staircase featured in Queensbridge Square has plagued the river promenade for many years, as a failed attempt at activating the area to become a popular public gathering place. Instead, it sits overlooking the Yarra and serves to mainly confuse tourists about what it actually is.
But thankfully, this is set to change. The City of Melbourne has listened to our collective gripes about the eyesore and decided to sort it out once and for all. They've announced plans to redesign the woeful amphitheatre so it can live up to its potential of becoming a spot that Melburnians will actually enjoy.
Melbourne mayor Nicholas Reece called the red stairs "very tired (and) very rundown".
"You might even say they're embarrassing, they need an overhaul," says Reece.
"There's a huge opportunity here to create a modern meeting place for Melburnians. A location that's as well-known as 'under the clocks' at Flinders Street Station."
Excitingly, the city's council has decided to hold a competition to determine what the new design will be, inviting professional designers from Australia and abroad to submit their ideas. The winning design will either proceed to commission or receive a cash prize of potentially $25,000.
The City of Melbourne is also planning to run design competitions to give makeovers to several other spots across the CBD that are in need of some TLC. So we could be seeing some fresh, creative structures popping up around the city in the coming months and years.
To find out more about the design competition, visit the City of Melbourne website .
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