Olympic Village Green
15 Alamein Road and 180 Southern Road and 1-17 Moresby Court HEIDELBERG WEST, BANYULE CITY
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Statement of Significance
What is significant?
1-17 Alamein Road known as Olympic Village Green and comprising the shops along one side of the park, the park itself containing elements of public art and the large eucalypts, are significant. The former Olympic Village Hall by Leith Bartlett is also significant. The lamp standards, and bollards, although not part of the original design are significant in the expression of the origins of the place.
How is it significant?
1-17 Alamein Road is of State historical, social and aesthetic significance.
Why is it significant?
1-17 Alamein Road and the Olympic Village Green is the place that most demonstrates the 1956 Olympic Games, and as Victoria's only Olympic Village. The Olympic rings suspended above Alamein Road are of historic significance as a tangible object associated with the event. As the only place in Victoria associated with the Olympic Games, and not substantially altered, the Olympic Hall, Village Green and shops demonstrate Victoria's and Australia's huge commitment to this international event at a time when the Post War housing shortage was critical. (Criterion A)
1-17 Alamein Road represents a rare and substatially unaltered link with the Games. (Criterion B)
The Olympic Village Green shops, and hall are associated with the architects Leith Bartlett who were prominent in major construction work in Banyule, and as part of the influential Architect's Panel for the HCV. (Criterion H) The Olympic Estate was one of the Housing Commission's early developments, and one of the largest ever built. The shops are also associated with the architectural practice of Leith Bartlett, creating a consistent design.
With the subsequent removal of many of the buildings associated with housing athletes for the Olympic games, such as the temporary dining facilities, there is now little evidence of the Olympics expressed in the built environment remaining in the housing estate. The hall is the most tangible link to the Olympic Games. Its former use as a flag court is interpreted in the many 'Olympic themed' landscape features that have been added to the space. (Criterion E)
At the entrance to the Estate the Village Green it also expresses ideals in town planning ofneighbourhood shops integrated with housing, however this is of lesser significance to the dominant theme of the Olympics.
The Olympic Village Green contains a number of examples of civic improvements (with Olympic theme), and public art, indicating an on-going attachment to the place. (Criterion G)
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Olympic Village Green - Physical Description 1
1-17 Alamein Road is situated at the entrance to the Olympic Estate at the corner of Southern Road and Alamein Road. It is now called Olympic Village Green and comprises a square of parkland, formerly 'Flag Court', a row of shops and a number of civic amenities such as lamps and bollards that display an Olympic theme. The shops are designed as a single row with consistent frontages and linking canopy on sloping columns. The area includes the former Olympic Village Hall designed by architects Leith Bartlett, to be the centre of the Olympic Village. The building is an austere rectangular structure of cream brickwork with minimal glazing. As an example of architecture of the 1950s it is undistinguished. The hall is located at the entrace to the Olympic Estate and survives relatively intact, although there is an extension to the front and windows have been added.
The park reserve contains sculpture and various other elements of public art. It has comparisons with other designed estates (containing retailing) from the Housing Commission of Victoria but is distinctive through the association with the 1956 Olympic Games. The shops are relatively intact, although there have been some upgrading of the roadway and parking areas in front of them
The Olympic Village Green is enhanced by the dual carriage roadway along Southern Road that contains a median strip planted with mature eucalypts.Olympic Village Green - Historical Australian Themes
AHC Themes
4.6 Remembering significant phases in the development of settlements, towns and cities8.9.2 Remembering public spectacles
HV Themes
6.6 Marking significant phases in the development of Victoria's settlements, town and cities6.7 Making homes for Victorians
Local Themes
The OlympicsHeritage Study and Grading
Banyule - Banyule Heritage Review
Author: Context P/L
Year: 2009
Grading: State
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