I hate the way all the proposed new designs dominate the view from Fed Square. None of them blend with the dome precinct. Don't the heritage overlays need to preserve the Swanston street heritage footpath and concourse roofs?

And all of them pretty much hide the view of the exisiting station building from Southbank. I think that view should be retained.
A simple low roof spanning the platforms would do that.

One of the simplest and best things that could be done is to provide a pedestrian underpass under Flinders Street at the Elizabeth Street entrance. It would avoid the massive peak time congestion that now exists in the tunnel, and on the steps and footpaths at that intersection.

Obviously you've never had to use the toilet facilities.

I disagree. It was looking dated, but it was far more usable than the current station, which involves walking a ridiculous distance through a large shopping centre to access the platforms.

Agreed.
And if you are unlucky enough to find that your V/Line service has been substitued with a coach, and you find that you're unceremoniously dumped at one of the coach bays, and you want to catch a suburban service, or indeed your next V/Line service is leaving from platform 8South, you have one hell of a walk in any case.
Also I have been caught out when I got off an ex-Craigieburn train at Southern Cross, only to find when I looked at the monitors at the Collins Street end that the next Geelong bound train was leaving from platform 2b. I wasn't happy to say the least as I can't manage that sort of distance in any short amount of time.
Anyway, back to the thread topic!

These station designs look yuk.

southern cross is even a bit weirdly laid out.

Is it a competition to see whether Flinders Street can be a bigger disaster and money-waster than Southern Cross/Spencer Street?

Couldnt agree more. its also about which party can outdo each other by screwing with the rail network.

It baffles me why they don't just restore the Grand Old Lady. Why must they destroy her?

Couldnt agree more. its also about which party can outdo each other by screwing with the rail network.

It baffles me why they don't just restore the Grand Old Lady. Why must they destroy her?

The subtext is increasing retail space a la Southern Cross and Melbourne Central.  Southern Cross has become much worse with shop-obstacles in your way but I'm sorry to say this is the wave of the future.

At peak times the Flinders Street concourse is already impossible to navigate because of the obstacle of multiple shops.  No doubt any redevelopment will resemble Melbourne Central with a labyrinth of shops to negotiate before you can actually get to the platforms.

The winning design has been selected.

I like the interior design of the winning entry, not so much the exterior.

But $$$ should be spent on other things IMO.  i.e. Upgraded signalling etc.

I was at the launch today and it was interesting how the head of the jury described the reasons it was selected - which were quite compelling. The full jury report is available online and should be make interesting reading (I haven't gone through it in detail yet).

Apparently it would cost ....cough... ahem.... $1.5 billion!:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hassell-herzog-and-de-meuron-win-the-flinders-st-station-design/story-fni0fit3-1226693343254

Apparently it would cost ....cough... ahem.... $1.5 billion!:
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/hassell-herzog-and-de-meuron-win-the-flinders-st-station-design/story-fni0fit3-1226693343254

Geez, for that price, we can knock the thing down, build a new station, and still have change

*ONLY JOKING*

An appalling waste of money.
I live for the day when a State Government will spend our money on things we really need. . . . health, education, public transport, and to hell with architects, Grand Prix et al.

Geez, for that price, we can knock the thing down, build a new station, and still have change

*ONLY JOKING*

How about a new ticketing system?

They should build a simple roof to cover the platforms, perhaps with some modest design elements sympathetic to the existing building design. Also refurbish the existing building and maybe build a subway under or footbridge over the Elizabeth/Flinders intersection.

Then with the change  - get started earlier on the metro tunnel.  That could include a subway that joins Flinders St, Flinders St underground and the north side of the Swanston/Flinders intersection.

Next scrap the east-west road link and the metro tunnel could be built even sooner.  Then we can look to Doncaster, Rowville and the Airport.

How about a new ticketing system?

And that too!
I am sure we could get rid of Myki, put in a simple, uncomplicated ticketing system, AND redevelop Flinders Street for less than $1.5b.

I am sure we could get rid of Myki, put in a simple, uncomplicated ticketing system, AND redevelop Flinders Street for less than $1.5b.

Not if the bureaucrats get their way.

And that too!
I am sure we could get rid of Myki, put in a simple, uncomplicated ticketing system, AND redevelop Flinders Street for less than $1.5b.

We could have done that years ago. I'm sure if we picked an experienced developer for myki we could have re-invented the wheel for a whole lot less.

Why would you waste all that money on rebuilding Flinder St station? It is going to cost the taxpayers $1.5 billion dollars and on top of that the firm that won the design got $500k out of it and thats also the taxpayers money also. For $1.5 billion that could be put into better things like the Airport rail link, getting a better ticketing system other than myki, funding better rail transport, or what the idiots could do is use that money to fix it up. Its been around since 1854 and is historical and the station is an icon. Why would you change it?

Why would you waste all that money on rebuilding Flinder St station? It is going to cost the taxpayers $1.5 billion dollars and on top of that the firm that won the design got $500k out of it and thats also the taxpayers money also. For $1.5 billion that could be put into better things like the Airport rail link, getting a better ticketing system other than myki, funding better rail transport, or what the idiots could do is use that money to fix it up. Its been around since 1854 and is historical and the station is an icon. Why would you change it?

Where do we start?
* Interior of station building (offices, vacant rooms, ballroom) is decaying and rotting through years of neglect.
* Toilets, especially at the Elizabeth Street end, need modernising. At the moment, they are a disgrace.
* Platforms need better roofing.

That is some of the reasons why Flinders Street Station needs renovation work.

Infact, why don't one of the tv stations make this a reality tv show, and give different sections of the station to different competing teams, and the best reno wins a cool $250,000 or even $500,000. It will save the government loads of money!
Renovation Rescue to the rescue!

That is some of the reasons why Flinders Street Station needs renovation work.

Infact, why don't one of the tv stations make this a reality tv show, and give different sections of the station to different competing teams, and the best reno wins a cool $250,000 or even $500,000. It will save the government loads of money!
Renovation Rescue to the rescue!

The competition idea sounds great on face value - but I have a feeling it would be a disaster in the long term.

Setting a pile of students loose on the station could cause some crazy outcomes (wait a moment - didn't the design prize go to some students?) The first prize section may show a modicom of style, but the team that comes seventh may leave platforms eight and nine looking like a set from Thomas the Tank Engine, or there may be pink elephants hanging from the concourse ceiling.

No matter what the outcome, there would be a mishmash of styles across the station as the students put their own style into their respective spaces.  Setting a style and standard sympathetic to the Victorian building to which the contestants should aspire in setting out their spaces may resolve the mish-mash issue, but would likely make for more boring viewing - not what the TV stations would be looking for.

The other problem on these shows is that they always seem to find ways of using wacky materials to build structures like a wall built out of egg-boxes coated in foil.  May look good on day one, but how will it look in 2023?

How long before we get the excuse from the state government that "Myki cost us $1.5Bn so we're not going to spend $1.5Bn on this."

Where do we start?

* Interior of station building (offices, vacant rooms, ballroom) is decaying and rotting through years of neglect.

* Toilets, especially at the Elizabeth Street end, need modernising. At the moment, they are a disgrace.

* Platforms need better roofing.
That is some of the reasons why Flinders Street Station needs renovation work.
Infact, why don't one of the tv stations make this a reality tv show, and give different sections of the station to different competing teams, and the best reno wins a cool $250,000 or even $500,000. It will save the government loads of money!
Renovation Rescue to the rescue

I suspect that our learned friend bear is tongue in cheek about Renovation Rescue, but the points he makes about renovation are spot on.
They need to be done; what doesn't need to be done is yet another lasting monument to a politician with delusions of grandeur, which is all that the new plan is. SCS is another of the same. For heaven's sake Mr Napthine, do a good, economical job of the things which must be done; we can't afford the unnecessary grandeur. That also goes for the road tunnel. How do the Libs have the effrontery to call Labor the big spenders?

I suspect that our learned friend bear is tongue in cheek about Renovation Rescue, but the points he makes about renovation are spot on.They need to be done; what doesn't need to be done is yet another lasting monument to a politician with delusions of grandeur, which is all that the new plan is. SCS is another of the same. For heaven's sake Mr Napthine, do a good, economical job of the things which must be done; we can't afford the unnecessary grandeur. That also goes for the road tunnel. How do the Libs have the effrontery to call Labor the big spenders?

You are correct, Valvegear.
You have interpreted my post correctly
I was indeed being facetious in regards to turning Flinders Street into a Renovation Rescue project.
It would never happen, it could never happen.