Client
Brisbane City Council
Queensland Government Anzac Centenary Public Fund
Overview
Community and CultureParks and Gardens
Collaborators
TKD Architects
Disciplines
Landscape Architecture
Location
Brisbane City, QLD
Date
2018
Imagery
Christopher Frederick Jones
This War Memorial is a historical touchstone, a place that links past to present, and provides visitors a space for remembrance and reflection in a beautiful city setting.
Anzac Square is Queensland’s preeminent memorial to those who have served their Country in war, conflict and peacekeeping. Embedded with stories and memories, it commemorates the sacrifice of the state’s men and women, simultaneously functioning as a strategic urban thoroughfare and civic open space.
Tract’s guiding design principles were to conserve, declutter and enhance the Brisbane park, re-establishing its role as a space for quiet reflection, a green retreat, and a communal hub.
Throughout the consultation process, stakeholders demonstrated a high level of emotion and connection to Anzac Square, reinforcing the need for thoughtful planning. There was a strong consensus that the solemnity of the memorial be respected and that all items of heritage significance be retained.
The enhancement works re-established the Shrine as the focus of the Square, with the original layout of the park restored and renewed. To remediate the intrusive incursions of the 1980s car park entries, three entryways into Anzac Square were formalised, and universal access provided. Adelaide Street footpath has been regraded, reshaped and redefined with a low curved sandstone wall.
Soft landscaping was extended on the axis into Adelaide Street with two new palms to mark the central path. These works have improved the accessibility, legibility and dignity of Anzac Square in the wider city context.
The introduction of bronze commemorative screens flanking the Square – inscribed with the names of every Queensland town represented in WWI and WWII – and a new formal entry reinforce the memorial function of the park. Removal of the Caesalpinia ferrea prevented further damage to the Square and ensured the Qld Women’s War Memorial was no longer hidden from view.
The state’s Anzac Centenary commemorations were a timely opportunity to restore and enhance the Square and engage a new generation of Queenslanders.
The park’s role as a green retreat within the city was solidified with wide expanses of lawn and carefully positioned Araucaria columnaris delivering shade over the new seating.
The well-received enhancement works epitomise the healing power of nature, and ensure Anzac Square will honour the service and sacrifice of Queensland and Australian men and women in war for years to come.
