Fed Square in Melbourne serves as a civic, community, and cultural destination. Situated along the Yarra River, it has cultural significance for the Wurundjeri and Bunurong peoples, remaining an important meeting place, and is home to the Melbourne Arts Precinct. The Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation (MAP Co) approached us to make Fed Square a more attractive and inclusive place at night to maximise its economic and cultural potential.

Using an evidence-based methodology, we provided Fed Square with a prioritised list of remediations to improve the perceptions of safety after dark. This influenced the lighting masterplan and its order of work. We have since worked collaboratively with MAP Co to implement the first stage of this plan and deliver improvements to the precinct.

Our work is making Fed Square a more welcoming and safer place for a diverse range of people to enjoy at night, benefitting both local businesses and the community. 

Creating a lighting masterplan

At night-time Fed Square space lacked vitality and functioned as a thoroughfare to other places, rather than somewhere people wanted to spend time in. We were engaged to improve the night-time experience and gendered perceptions of safety by first developing a lighting masterplan for the space.

Our Night-time Vulnerability Assessment (NVA) tool helped us to understand how existing lighting, architecture and urban design characteristics influenced visitors’ perceptions of safety after dark.

Following the principles outlined in Fed Square’s lighting masterplan, we were engaged in the first stage of implementation, which included lighting for circulation areas, the Main Plaza, the Atrium, and the Edge auditorium. By considering parameters that extend beyond base compliance design, our team were able to arrive at design outcomes that more closely reflect experience of people using those spaces. We ensured that factors such as the quality of light, contrast levels, surrounding architecture and social context are considered designing the lighting scheme and will shape perceptions of safety and inclusivity in the precinct.

The lighting design enhances the night-time identity of the iconic outdoor square through layered illumination of the facades while maintaining soft general illumination to circulation areas. In the Atrium and Edge auditorium, we highlighted the structure of glazed facades with discreet linear lighting that can be customised and tuned for different events and holidays. For the outdoor Main Plaza, we provided a layered façade approach with control integration. The façade illumination in these primary areas can be adjusted at the client’s convenience, enabling customisation, and creating a unique backdrop for specific events and providing connection to a wider city colour scheme.

Watch how we developed a lighting masterplan to make Fed Square a more welcoming space at night.

Collecting data to understand how light influences feelings of safety

We spent a total of 50 hours on site at night measuring and collating a range of datasets. We looked at how light influences perceptions of safety, examined primary routes of movement and listened to people’s experiences of moving through the area.

Using the results extracted from the NVA tool, we developed a list of requirements to enhance the night-time experience in Fed Square. We prioritised measures to remediate areas where the data indicated women and girls would feel most vulnerable.

Outdoor seating at Fed Square

Creative lighting in public spaces at night improves the experience.

Mapping the precinct

Our digital team conducted a point cloud scan of the precinct, creating a highly detailed map which was accessible online. This aided the implementation of the new lighting design.

Night-time 360-degree scans were taken as part of the NVA process, which were shared with MAP Co via a web-based interactive platform.