Sunday, January 29, 2012

Sign of the times?


The area I live in, West End, has been gentrified a lot over the past few years with a large amount of industrial land near the river being transformed into 8-10 storey luxury apartments. While Brisbane needs to have more housing for its expanding population, there is a the concern that the existing infastructure just wont be able to cope.

This photo is of a boarded off building site, originally announcing the construction  of "Montague"; 424 apartments where presumably, looking at this photo, you can re-live your own version of The Titanic (and had you lived there last year, you probably could have as it was several metres under water during the floods). Anyway whether it's due to objections or perhaps the whole global financial crisis I'm not sure - but it looks as if the development application has fallen through - and the guerilla stencillers have been having a field day.

5 comments:

AL said...

I agree with the need for more housing but West End is such an eclectic and special area of the city that it would be a shame to have it's character eroded by high-rise apartment blocks which, I'm sure, would be another set of look-alike boxes.

Mozette said...

I hate to point it out, but you have the wrong movie. It's not 'The Titanic'... it's Shakespeare's play 'Romeo and Juilette' you meant to say; as Montague was the name of one of the families that were fighting in his tragedy. The other were the Capulet's.

Great photo... however I reckon BCC is building out the wrong area of Brisbane. Yes it's close to the city centre, but being an older part of Brisbane and it's a very arty and interesting part of Brisbane that should be left alone because of how it's been growing, not built over with apartment buildings; otherwise we'll be looking at another L.A.

The House That A-M Built said...

Isn't the 'Titanic reference' related to how he is holding her, like at the bow of the ship in the movie? I ran past that site this morning, wondering what had happened to the development approval. Yep, it's getting pretty crowded down the end of Montague with all the apartment complexes. My street, Kurilpa is a nightmare, with residents and industry all fighting for car spaces. A-M xx

Lauren in Brisbane said...

West End Community Association just won a planning appeal about the development that was proposed here, although I think the development fell through long before that. The appeal was about the height of the proposed buildings, which were taller than the local planning laws permit.

I have been very much enjoying the slow, sly graffit that is appearing along this hoarding.

What is more worrying is the massive cane toad breeding ground behind the hoardings. If you walk past at night it's like an unearthly chorus.

Alan said...

I think you did mean Titanic, right? I geddit, innit?

Seriously, is there anybody on earth who would succumb to that subliminal message? Don't answer that, I know the depressing truth, really...

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