Yagan Square
"Wirin" by artist Tjyllyungoo.
NamesakeYagan
Area1.1 ha (2.7 acres)
LocationCity of Perth
Coordinates31°57′02″S 115°51′31″E / 31.950589°S 115.858559°E / -31.950589; 115.858559 (Yagan Square)
North endNorthbridge
South endCentral business district
NorthRoe Street
EastHorseshoe Bridge
SouthWellington Street
WestEdith Cowan University (future campus)[1]
Construction
Construction startFebruary 2016
InaugurationMarch 3, 2018 (2018-03-03)
Other
StatusPedestrian
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata
The digital tower at Yagan Square

Yagan Square is a public space and a component of the Perth City Link in Perth, Western Australia. It is situated between the Horseshoe Bridge and the Perth Busport in the eastern part of the Perth City Link precinct,[2] occupying 1.1 hectares (2.7 acres).[3] Construction of the square began in February 2016,[4][5][6][7] and it was opened on 3 March 2018.[8][9] It is named after the Aboriginal warrior Yagan.

Description

The design of Yagan Square has taken into account its place of significance to the indigenous people on whose land it is being built, the Noongar people of Perth, as well as the lakes that used to exist under what is now the Perth railway station and Wellington Street.[10] The square has pedestrian access points from Roe Street in the north, Karak Walk and the Busport to the west, Wellington Street to the south and from the Horseshoe Bridge to the east, with direct access from Perth railway station to Yagan Square under the Horseshoe Bridge in the south-east of the precinct.

On the south-western corner of Yagan Square is a 45-metre-high (148 ft) "digital tower",[11] with a wrap-around display screen 30 metres (98 ft) in width and 14 metres (46 ft) in height.[12] Fourteen columns rising from the middle of the tower represent the fourteen Noongar language groups.[13] The tower has been used to display artwork and short films,[14] as well as livestreamed events such as the AFL Grand Final and other sporting events,[15][16] a satellite launch in 2021,[17] and a solar eclipse in 2023.[18] After the abduction of Cleo Smith in October 2021, images of the missing child were displayed on the tower as part of the public appeal for information.[19]

Facing William Street, a 9-metre (30 ft) statue "Wirin", designed by Noongar artist Tjyllyungoo, represents the "sacred force of creative power that connects all life of boodja (mother earth)".[20][11] "Waterline", a 190-metre-long (620 ft) water feature designed by artist Jon Tarry, flows through the space, and Yagan Square also boasts a small grassed area and wildflower garden.[21]

Taking up most of the eastern half of Yagan Square is a 500-person capacity outdoor amphitheatre shaded by a light-up digital canopy in the shape of the former Lakes Kingsford and Irwin that once existed in the area. The amphitheatre has been host to concerts, live performances, and public exercise classes.

The amphitheatre is flanked to the north and south by two buildings containing food and beverage outlets: the Horseshoe Lane building and the under-construction Stories hospitality complex, a reconfiguration of the original Market Hall building that initially opened alongside the rest of the precinct. Although both original buildings had been praised for their architectural design, after opening the larger Market Hall saw a gradual exodus of tenants due to lower than expected visitor numbers caused by the building's indirect pedestrian access and mediocre visibility for the businesses inside, with some branding the Market Hall a "ghost town" and a "white elephant".[22] Acknowledging the failure of the initial configuration of the Market Hall,[23] the state government considered reconfiguring the space for other uses such as a farmer's market,[24] before announcing in October 2022 that the Market Hall will undergo a $8.4 million redevelopment into a five-level hospitality complex consisting of a number of restaurants, bars and a beer hall.[23][25] The Stories hospitality complex, which gutted the original Market Hall and added an additional two storeys to the existing structure, is expected to open in March 2024.[26]

Prior to its redevelopment the Market Hall also featured a children's playground and water play area on its upper level.[27]

Edith Cowan University's future multi-storey inner city campus, ECU City, will be located to the immediate west of Yagan Square.[1] Construction of the facility commenced in February 2023, with completion expected in late 2025 for classes to begin in 2026.[28]

References

  1. 1 2 Liveris, James (17 March 2022). "Scott Morrison announces funding boost for Edith Cowan University's Perth CBD campus". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 20 March 2022.
  2. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions : Where is Yagan Square?". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  3. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions: How big is Yagan Square?". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Archived from the original on 6 April 2019. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  4. ↑ "Explore Yagan Square". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  5. ↑ "Historic lakes inspire design for Yagan Square". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  6. ↑ Bonnie Christian (14 November 2014). "Government unveils $73m Yagan Square design for Perth city link". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 15 November 2014.
  7. ↑ Construction starts at Perth's Yagan Square WAtoday 14 February 2016
  8. ↑ Jasmine Cookson (3 March 2018). "Perth's Yagan Square finally opens to the public". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 3 March 2018.
  9. ↑ Saunt, Deborah; Greenall, Tom; Marcaccio, Roberta (17 June 2019). The Business of Research: Knowledge and Learning Redefined in Architectural Practice. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-119-54602-3.
  10. ↑ "Yagan Square". Iredale pedersen hook. Retrieved 6 March 2017.
  11. 1 2 Joe Spagnolo (18 February 2018). "Yagan Square to open on March 3". Perth Now. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  12. ↑ "Digital tower construction". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. 15 January 2018. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  13. ↑ "Digital Tower". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Retrieved 18 March 2018.
  14. ↑ "ECU films grace the big screen in Yagan Square". Filmink. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "Screens aplenty as West Coast fever hits Perth". The West. 26 September 2018. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "International Football Fever comes to Yagan Square". Kids in Perth. 19 July 2022. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "WA's first space satellite launched". Katherine Times. 29 August 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  18. ↑ "Solar Eclipse 2023: Get the lowdown on next week's rare hybrid eclipse". Perth is OK. 13 April 2023. Retrieved 14 May 2023.
  19. ↑ "Cleo Smith search: Posters of missing girl plastered across WA". The West. 23 October 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  20. ↑ "Wirin". Metropolitan Redevelopment Authority. Archived from the original on 11 March 2021. Retrieved 21 February 2022.
  21. ↑ "Yagan Square in Perth gets set to mark a milestone". Landscape Architecture NZ. 12 February 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  22. ↑ "Struggling food hall vendors leave Yagan Square 'ghost town' after three years". ABC News. 17 March 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  23. 1 2 "Yagan Square to get multimillion dollar revamp to bring people back to Perth city". ABC News. 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
  24. ↑ "Back to the drawing board for troubled Yagan Square as last tenants move out of market hall". PerthNow. 2 September 2021. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
  25. ↑ "Perth's Yagan Square to undergo $8.4 million redevelopment with beer hall and retractable roof". PerthNow. 17 October 2022. Retrieved 17 October 2022.
  26. ↑ "Bar & Bites: Two mega-pubs set to shake up Perth's entertainment precincts". PerthNow. 26 July 2023. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
  27. ↑ "Yagan Square - Playscapeaccess-date=13 May 2023".
  28. ↑ "Joint media statement - Groundbreaking moment for landmark ECU city campus". 23 February 2023. Archived from the original on 24 February 2023. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
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