City of Yarra is about to demolish a significant portion of the important River Pavilion to Fairfield Park by Carter and Couch – Kennedy Nolan, a Melbourne architecture practice, has launched a Change.org campaign to ensure its retention or relocation.
City of Yarra is set to demolish a significant portion of the important River Pavilion to Fairfield Park to build a large storage shed. An important piece of our modern architectural heritage, carefully designed by significant local architects to support the adjacent bluestone amphitheatre while maintaining public space and views to the river, the River Pavilion has been nominated to the Victorian Heritage Register.
Currently slated for demolition, the River Pavilion was originally commissioned by the City of Northcote as a facility to support the adjacent amphitheatre. Completed by Dennis Carter & Paul Couch of Carter Couch in the 1980s, it is an important public work by this practice. Paul Couch worked alongside Robin Boyd for many years and was involved in some of Australia’s most significant Modern buildings. There is currently little published information on Couch but there is widespread interest within the architectural community and a book on his work is currently underway.
Image Credit: Tom Ross @tomross.xyz
The River Pavilion is located between the Fairfield Amphitheatre & the Pipe Bridge in Fairfield Park. Local architecture practice Kennedy Nolan has actioned a Change.Org petition that provides the following options:
- Reconsider the demolition on the advice of City of Yarra’s own heritage advisor
- Postpone any works until the building’s current nomination to the Victorian Heritage Registry has been assessed (the Heritage Victoria will meet to review the nomination on September 21, 2020)
- Relocate the rooftop pavilion structure within Fairfield Park rather than demolishing it
Further information & more photos by Tom Ross are available here.