Latest news with #OpenHouseMelbourne
Sydney Morning Herald
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Could Melbourne survive as a megacity? Play this game to find out
The year is 2050. You're strolling around Melbourne's CBD, now a sprawling megacity filled with 8 million people. This metropolis, once intact and packed with promise, has been battered by flash floods and extreme heat. Familiar places like the Metro Tunnel have become submerged in water, eels swimming to and fro. This isn't the plot of the latest dystopian blockbuster, rather it's the premise of Open House Melbourne's first ever citywide urban role-playing event. Conceptualised by urban play scholar Troy Innocent, Reworlding Naarm will invite groups of 16 people to tour Victoria's capital city alongside experienced game-masters who will describe a future city in need. Combining augmented reality, immersive sound and storytelling, each group will grapple with the question: when one world collapses, how do we build the next? 'It's a matter of learning from place,' Innocent says. 'It's about accepting there is a crisis, but rather than thinking 'every person for themselves', or waiting for somebody to come along and save the day, it's about thinking, 'how can we collectively respond to this? How could we bring people together to explore ways to reimagine and remake our cities over the next decade – to be responsive and adaptive to change?'' Reworlding Naarm came from the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Summer bushfires. While play-testing another project, Innocent says he began to smell the smoke, and suddenly the crises around him felt incredibly real. But instead of catastrophising, Innocent says he invested his energy into creating an event in which the core mechanics are possibility and hope. Players – who can either play their future selves or someone else entirely – will be given a handful of marbles to represent this hope, which they can lose over time as extreme heat, flash floods and other events occur along the way. If you lose all your marbles, and therefore all hope, the group will leave you behind and your game ends. Innocent began smaller-scale, creating Reworlding: Cardigan Commons, which physically transformed Cardigan Street in Carlton into a future Melbourne. Now, Reworlding has expanded to encapsulate the entire inner-city. For many of the participants, Innocent says this could be the first time they have engaged with place in a multisensory, complex way since they were children. This kind of urban role-playing – which blends familiar, contemporary urban settings with fantastical elements – offers an opportunity to bring imaginative play into adulthood, something that has proven to be regenerative and joyful rather than anxiety-inducing. For example, a dilapidated building could be reimagined as an urban garden, or a submerged shopping centre could become regenerated wetlands.
The Age
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Age
Could Melbourne survive as a megacity? Play this game to find out
The year is 2050. You're strolling around Melbourne's CBD, now a sprawling megacity filled with 8 million people. This metropolis, once intact and packed with promise, has been battered by flash floods and extreme heat. Familiar places like the Metro Tunnel have become submerged in water, eels swimming to and fro. This isn't the plot of the latest dystopian blockbuster, rather it's the premise of Open House Melbourne's first ever citywide urban role-playing event. Conceptualised by urban play scholar Troy Innocent, Reworlding Naarm will invite groups of 16 people to tour Victoria's capital city alongside experienced game-masters who will describe a future city in need. Combining augmented reality, immersive sound and storytelling, each group will grapple with the question: when one world collapses, how do we build the next? 'It's a matter of learning from place,' Innocent says. 'It's about accepting there is a crisis, but rather than thinking 'every person for themselves', or waiting for somebody to come along and save the day, it's about thinking, 'how can we collectively respond to this? How could we bring people together to explore ways to reimagine and remake our cities over the next decade – to be responsive and adaptive to change?'' Reworlding Naarm came from the trauma of the COVID-19 pandemic and Black Summer bushfires. While play-testing another project, Innocent says he began to smell the smoke, and suddenly the crises around him felt incredibly real. But instead of catastrophising, Innocent says he invested his energy into creating an event in which the core mechanics are possibility and hope. Players – who can either play their future selves or someone else entirely – will be given a handful of marbles to represent this hope, which they can lose over time as extreme heat, flash floods and other events occur along the way. If you lose all your marbles, and therefore all hope, the group will leave you behind and your game ends. Innocent began smaller-scale, creating Reworlding: Cardigan Commons, which physically transformed Cardigan Street in Carlton into a future Melbourne. Now, Reworlding has expanded to encapsulate the entire inner-city. For many of the participants, Innocent says this could be the first time they have engaged with place in a multisensory, complex way since they were children. This kind of urban role-playing – which blends familiar, contemporary urban settings with fantastical elements – offers an opportunity to bring imaginative play into adulthood, something that has proven to be regenerative and joyful rather than anxiety-inducing. For example, a dilapidated building could be reimagined as an urban garden, or a submerged shopping centre could become regenerated wetlands.
7NEWS
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
The 2025 program for Open House Melbourne has been unveiled and it's huge
The 2025 program for Open House Melbourne has just been released and its one of the largest ever planned. Nearly 200 buildings and places across Melbourne will be open to the public for the 26th and 27th of July - many for the very first time. Some of the exciting firsts include the new Veloway on the West Gate Tunnel Project, the elephant habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo and the Kennedy Nolan designed hotel Melbourne Place. Alongside buildings and houses, the program also offers experiences including a First Nations kayak tour down the Yarra and a city-wide role-playing game set in the year 2050. The theme for this year's weekend is 'Stories of the City', which executive director and chief curator, Dr Tania Davidge, said was chosen to emphasise that the city is more than just "bricks and mortar." "Melbourne is about people and place," she said. "Every building, street and public place in our city has a unique story to uncover, and Open House Melbourne Weekend is your best time to explore the secret histories of our city hidden behind closed doors." Open House Melbourne is the largest architecture and built environment festival in Oceania and is expected to attract over 65,000 people. In accordance with this year's theme, the festival will invite attendees to share their unique Melbourne story. "To celebrate this year's Open House Melbourne's Weekend theme, we invite all Melburnians to share their own stories by contributing to a special exhibition, held over the weekend, at the Bates Smart Gallery," said Davidge. Homes of Melbourne As part of the program, 13 private residences, as well as multi-residential, build-to-rent and social housing developments across the city will be open for the public to explore. Some of the highlights include Naples St House, winner of theRobin Boyd award at the 2024 National Architecture Awards. Designed by Edition Office, the brick house is a multi-generational home located in Box Hill that is designed around a central courtyard garden. Built to accommodate three generations, the home allows the occupants space and privacy, while also creating a sense of connection through the thoughtful design. Over in Hawthorn, attendees will have the opportunity to explore ECHO.1, Melbourne's first turnkey Passivhaus development. Designed by and Neil Architecture, the development is a collection of eight brand new townhouses built with sustainable materials and designed for net-zero energy outcomes. Another sustainable development featured on the program is 1 Heller St Brunswick,a six-star building and new public park on a former council nursery site. A collaboration between Hansen's urban planning team and Six Degrees Architects, the project features 10 townhouses across three levels with a mix of native and indigenous planting surrounding a central grassed space. Part of the Victorian Government's Big Housing Build is Bills Street Social - the largest social and affordable building program in the state's history. Festival guests will be able to check out the ambitious development that will provide 206 modern and energy-efficient homes for Victorians facing difficulties securing affordable housing. The project provides a 50/50 split of social and affordable homes, that are accessible with an environmentally sustainable design.
Canberra Times
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Canberra Times
The 2025 program for Open House Melbourne has been unveiled and it's huge
The 2025 program for Open House Melbourne has just been released and its one of the largest ever planned. Nearly 200 buildings and places across Melbourne will be open to the public for the 26th and 27th of July - many for the very first time. The Kennedy Nolan designed hotel Melbourne Place. Pic: Open House Melbourne. Some of the exciting firsts include the new Veloway on the West Gate Tunnel Project, the elephant habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo and the Kennedy Nolan designed hotel Melbourne Place. Alongside buildings and houses, the program also offers experiences including a First Nations kayak tour down the Yarra and a city-wide role-playing game set in the year 2050. The theme for this year's weekend is 'Stories of the City', which executive director and chief curator, Dr Tania Davidge, said was chosen to emphasise that the city is more than just "bricks and mortar." The elephant habitat at Werribee Open Range Zoo. Pic: Open House Melbourne. "Melbourne is about people and place," she said. "Every building, street and public place in our city has a unique story to uncover, and Open House Melbourne Weekend is your best time to explore the secret histories of our city hidden behind closed doors." Open House Melbourne is the largest architecture and built environment festival in Oceania and is expected to attract over 65,000 people. In accordance with this year's theme, the festival will invite attendees to share their unique Melbourne story. "To celebrate this year's Open House Melbourne's Weekend theme, we invite all Melburnians to share their own stories by contributing to a special exhibition, held over the weekend, at the Bates Smart Gallery," said Davidge. Homes of Melbourne Naples St House is a multi-generational home located in Box Hill. Pic: Open House Melbourne. As part of the program, 13 private residences, as well as multi-residential, build-to-rent and social housing developments across the city will be open for the public to explore. Some of the highlights include Naples St House, winner of theRobin Boyd award at the 2024 National Architecture Awards. Designed by Edition Office, the brick house is a multi-generational home located in Box Hill that is designed around a central courtyard garden. ECHO.1 is Melbourne's first turnkey Passivhaus development. Pic: Open House Melbourne. Built to accommodate three generations, the home allows the occupants space and privacy, while also creating a sense of connection through the thoughtful design. Over in Hawthorn, attendees will have the opportunity to explore ECHO.1, Melbourne's first turnkey Passivhaus development. Designed by and Neil Architecture, the development is a collection of eight brand new townhouses built with sustainable materials and designed for net-zero energy outcomes. ECHO.1 was designed by and Neil Architecture. Pic: Open House Melbourne. Another sustainable development featured on the program is 1 Heller St Brunswick,a six-star building and new public park on a former council nursery site. A collaboration between Hansen's urban planning team and Six Degrees Architects, the project features 10 townhouses across three levels with a mix of native and indigenous planting surrounding a central grassed space. Part of the Victorian Government's Big Housing Build is Bills Street Social - the largest social and affordable building program in the state's history. Bills Street Social is the largest social and affordable building program in the state's history. Pic: Open House Melbourne. Festival guests will be able to check out the ambitious development that will provide 206 modern and energy-efficient homes for Victorians facing difficulties securing affordable housing. The project provides a 50/50 split of social and affordable homes, that are accessible with an environmentally sustainable design. Tickets for the festival will be available from July 2. For the full program visit
The Advertiser
05-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Rone's global street art starts in this shared studio
Street artist Rone's multi-storey murals of female faces can be seen in dozens of cities worldwide but they have their beginnings in a nondescript inner-city studio. From the outside it looks like another residential property development hidden down a one way street in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. But step inside and Rone, aka Tyrone Wright, is busy scaling up his next mural project, tracing a section of the design that's been projected onto the studio wall before going over his lines again using a high voltage perforating machine. "It's dangerous, you do get electrocuted every now and then," he says. "I had to import one from the US." Rone shares this studio with fellow artist Callum Preston, who is best known for his elaborate nostalgia-driven installations such as a replica video store from the 1980s that's currently on show at Melbourne's Immigration Museum. The studio will be open to the public for the first time in July for Open House Melbourne weekend, as part of a program of almost 200 open buildings and events. Overall more than 65,000 people are expected to participate in the program and fans of the city's renowned street art scene can also visit The Blender Studios in West Melbourne and Everfresh Studio, also in Collingwood. In Preston's section of the studio there's a globe, a megaphone, a skull, and several old telephones - parts of an installation built for rock band The Living End to launch their recent single at nearby music venue The Tote. The artist hopes to re-assemble at least some of the scene from The Tote for Open House, while his illustrations for other bands such as Parkway Drive, Violent Soho and Something for Kate will also be on display, as well as an elaborate mobile set-up for making two-minute noodles at COVID lockdown picnics. Both artists have worked in various studios in and around Collingwood for the past 20 years. There was the original Everfresh Studio, which flooded several times, and a studio near the Abbotsford Convent where artworks had to be protected from pigeons due to the missing windows. "Each building we eventually get kicked out of, whether it's getting developed or whatever other reason," said Rone. They may have cracked the code though, buying a commercially zoned space in a relatively new building. It could have been another cafe but in this part of Melbourne, coffee is an oversupplied market. The studio doesn't leak and there's no landlord to evict them. While many artists can work at home in spaces such as garages, inner-city studios are increasingly rare, especially for groups of artists such as Everfresh, Preston says. It's not just gentrification but people generally getting smarter about how to use marginal buildings. "The spaces that weren't useful to people became artist spots but now everything's useful because the way people shop and live is different," he said. Other attractions at Open House include first time access to the West Gate Tunnel Veloway, backstage tours of Melbourne theatres and admission to player areas at the Western Bulldogs Football Club and Melbourne Vixens. The Melbourne edition is part of Open House Worldwide, a network spanning 60 cities on five continents and reaching more than 750,000 people annually. Melburnians are encouraged to plan early as some attractions are expected to book out. Open House runs on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27. Street artist Rone's multi-storey murals of female faces can be seen in dozens of cities worldwide but they have their beginnings in a nondescript inner-city studio. From the outside it looks like another residential property development hidden down a one way street in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. But step inside and Rone, aka Tyrone Wright, is busy scaling up his next mural project, tracing a section of the design that's been projected onto the studio wall before going over his lines again using a high voltage perforating machine. "It's dangerous, you do get electrocuted every now and then," he says. "I had to import one from the US." Rone shares this studio with fellow artist Callum Preston, who is best known for his elaborate nostalgia-driven installations such as a replica video store from the 1980s that's currently on show at Melbourne's Immigration Museum. The studio will be open to the public for the first time in July for Open House Melbourne weekend, as part of a program of almost 200 open buildings and events. Overall more than 65,000 people are expected to participate in the program and fans of the city's renowned street art scene can also visit The Blender Studios in West Melbourne and Everfresh Studio, also in Collingwood. In Preston's section of the studio there's a globe, a megaphone, a skull, and several old telephones - parts of an installation built for rock band The Living End to launch their recent single at nearby music venue The Tote. The artist hopes to re-assemble at least some of the scene from The Tote for Open House, while his illustrations for other bands such as Parkway Drive, Violent Soho and Something for Kate will also be on display, as well as an elaborate mobile set-up for making two-minute noodles at COVID lockdown picnics. Both artists have worked in various studios in and around Collingwood for the past 20 years. There was the original Everfresh Studio, which flooded several times, and a studio near the Abbotsford Convent where artworks had to be protected from pigeons due to the missing windows. "Each building we eventually get kicked out of, whether it's getting developed or whatever other reason," said Rone. They may have cracked the code though, buying a commercially zoned space in a relatively new building. It could have been another cafe but in this part of Melbourne, coffee is an oversupplied market. The studio doesn't leak and there's no landlord to evict them. While many artists can work at home in spaces such as garages, inner-city studios are increasingly rare, especially for groups of artists such as Everfresh, Preston says. It's not just gentrification but people generally getting smarter about how to use marginal buildings. "The spaces that weren't useful to people became artist spots but now everything's useful because the way people shop and live is different," he said. Other attractions at Open House include first time access to the West Gate Tunnel Veloway, backstage tours of Melbourne theatres and admission to player areas at the Western Bulldogs Football Club and Melbourne Vixens. The Melbourne edition is part of Open House Worldwide, a network spanning 60 cities on five continents and reaching more than 750,000 people annually. Melburnians are encouraged to plan early as some attractions are expected to book out. Open House runs on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27. Street artist Rone's multi-storey murals of female faces can be seen in dozens of cities worldwide but they have their beginnings in a nondescript inner-city studio. From the outside it looks like another residential property development hidden down a one way street in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. But step inside and Rone, aka Tyrone Wright, is busy scaling up his next mural project, tracing a section of the design that's been projected onto the studio wall before going over his lines again using a high voltage perforating machine. "It's dangerous, you do get electrocuted every now and then," he says. "I had to import one from the US." Rone shares this studio with fellow artist Callum Preston, who is best known for his elaborate nostalgia-driven installations such as a replica video store from the 1980s that's currently on show at Melbourne's Immigration Museum. The studio will be open to the public for the first time in July for Open House Melbourne weekend, as part of a program of almost 200 open buildings and events. Overall more than 65,000 people are expected to participate in the program and fans of the city's renowned street art scene can also visit The Blender Studios in West Melbourne and Everfresh Studio, also in Collingwood. In Preston's section of the studio there's a globe, a megaphone, a skull, and several old telephones - parts of an installation built for rock band The Living End to launch their recent single at nearby music venue The Tote. The artist hopes to re-assemble at least some of the scene from The Tote for Open House, while his illustrations for other bands such as Parkway Drive, Violent Soho and Something for Kate will also be on display, as well as an elaborate mobile set-up for making two-minute noodles at COVID lockdown picnics. Both artists have worked in various studios in and around Collingwood for the past 20 years. There was the original Everfresh Studio, which flooded several times, and a studio near the Abbotsford Convent where artworks had to be protected from pigeons due to the missing windows. "Each building we eventually get kicked out of, whether it's getting developed or whatever other reason," said Rone. They may have cracked the code though, buying a commercially zoned space in a relatively new building. It could have been another cafe but in this part of Melbourne, coffee is an oversupplied market. The studio doesn't leak and there's no landlord to evict them. While many artists can work at home in spaces such as garages, inner-city studios are increasingly rare, especially for groups of artists such as Everfresh, Preston says. It's not just gentrification but people generally getting smarter about how to use marginal buildings. "The spaces that weren't useful to people became artist spots but now everything's useful because the way people shop and live is different," he said. Other attractions at Open House include first time access to the West Gate Tunnel Veloway, backstage tours of Melbourne theatres and admission to player areas at the Western Bulldogs Football Club and Melbourne Vixens. The Melbourne edition is part of Open House Worldwide, a network spanning 60 cities on five continents and reaching more than 750,000 people annually. Melburnians are encouraged to plan early as some attractions are expected to book out. Open House runs on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27. Street artist Rone's multi-storey murals of female faces can be seen in dozens of cities worldwide but they have their beginnings in a nondescript inner-city studio. From the outside it looks like another residential property development hidden down a one way street in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood. But step inside and Rone, aka Tyrone Wright, is busy scaling up his next mural project, tracing a section of the design that's been projected onto the studio wall before going over his lines again using a high voltage perforating machine. "It's dangerous, you do get electrocuted every now and then," he says. "I had to import one from the US." Rone shares this studio with fellow artist Callum Preston, who is best known for his elaborate nostalgia-driven installations such as a replica video store from the 1980s that's currently on show at Melbourne's Immigration Museum. The studio will be open to the public for the first time in July for Open House Melbourne weekend, as part of a program of almost 200 open buildings and events. Overall more than 65,000 people are expected to participate in the program and fans of the city's renowned street art scene can also visit The Blender Studios in West Melbourne and Everfresh Studio, also in Collingwood. In Preston's section of the studio there's a globe, a megaphone, a skull, and several old telephones - parts of an installation built for rock band The Living End to launch their recent single at nearby music venue The Tote. The artist hopes to re-assemble at least some of the scene from The Tote for Open House, while his illustrations for other bands such as Parkway Drive, Violent Soho and Something for Kate will also be on display, as well as an elaborate mobile set-up for making two-minute noodles at COVID lockdown picnics. Both artists have worked in various studios in and around Collingwood for the past 20 years. There was the original Everfresh Studio, which flooded several times, and a studio near the Abbotsford Convent where artworks had to be protected from pigeons due to the missing windows. "Each building we eventually get kicked out of, whether it's getting developed or whatever other reason," said Rone. They may have cracked the code though, buying a commercially zoned space in a relatively new building. It could have been another cafe but in this part of Melbourne, coffee is an oversupplied market. The studio doesn't leak and there's no landlord to evict them. While many artists can work at home in spaces such as garages, inner-city studios are increasingly rare, especially for groups of artists such as Everfresh, Preston says. It's not just gentrification but people generally getting smarter about how to use marginal buildings. "The spaces that weren't useful to people became artist spots but now everything's useful because the way people shop and live is different," he said. Other attractions at Open House include first time access to the West Gate Tunnel Veloway, backstage tours of Melbourne theatres and admission to player areas at the Western Bulldogs Football Club and Melbourne Vixens. The Melbourne edition is part of Open House Worldwide, a network spanning 60 cities on five continents and reaching more than 750,000 people annually. Melburnians are encouraged to plan early as some attractions are expected to book out. Open House runs on Saturday July 26 and Sunday July 27.
