Queen Victoria Gardens

Showcasing the winner of the 2023 Melbourne Award for City Design – the Victorian Family Violence Memorial developed by Muir Architecture & Openwork – ‘Purple’ is a temporary projection onto the interior of MPavilion 10.

Responding to the MPavilion 10 theme of ‘A Blank Canvas’, Purple making a spatial and experiential connection to the Victorian Family Violence Memorial located at the corner of St Andrews Place and Lansdowne Street, East Melbourne.

The interior of the pavilion will be bathed in purple light, an acknowledgment of the colour used in the Memorial – the colour of the prevention of Family Violence and the eradication of violence toward women. Sounds from the memorial will fill the space with the internal walls playing host to a moving image of the memorial planting. A moment in time. A time to pause. A time to reflect.

Warnings
This event references themes of domestic violence.

The Victorian Family Violence Memorial

The Family Violence Memorial is a garden remembering and honouring people who have lost their lives to family and intimate partner violence. It is also a place for reflection and to support healing for those who have experienced or are experiencing family violence.

The garden is situated at the corner of St Andrews Place and Lansdowne Street, East Melbourne. It provides both a physical and symbolic reminder of the lives lost to family and intimate partner violence and that this is an ongoing issue, which we continue to address as a community.

The design features purple flowers that bloom all year — symbolic of the global movement to end family violence, and a pathway which leads to an English Elm tree representing the passing of time and renewal. It also includes a smoking vessel and plaque inscription, which recognises the cultural significance of the site.

The Family Violence Memorial is a partnership between the Victorian Government, the City of Melbourne and involved representatives from the Victim Survivors’ Advisory Council.

It was developed by Muir Architecture, Openwork and Traditional Owners and was completed in 2022.

The project received the following awards in 2023:

• Australian Institute of Architects National Award – Nicholas Murcutt Award For Small Project Architecture
• City Of Melbourne – Melbourne Awards 2023 City Design Award
• Australian Institute of Landscape Architects – National Award For Small Projects
• Australian Institute of Architects Victorian Chapter – Kevin Borland Award For Small Project Architecture
• Australian Institute of Landscape Architects Victorian Chapter – Award Of Excellence For Small Projects