Art meets sport: a splash of colour on Queensbridge St

By Jess Carrascalao Heard

Locals can now book to play sport on a vibrant piece of public art, with the recent opening of the new “Underpark” space on Queensbridge St.

The art installation, which doubles as a basketball court, was created by interdisciplinary artist Reko Rennie who is known for his bold and vibrant style that incorporates elements of graffiti art along with his Kamilaroi heritage.

The artwork, called OA_Hardcourt, is located at 84-90 Queensbridge St and was commissioned by property developers Time & Place, which owns the site, in conjunction with builders Hickory.

OA_Hardcourt inverts the idea of camouflage, using bright, vibrant colours and bold patterns.

It is an extension of the artist’s series, Rennie’s Visible Invisible, which explores the same theme.

Rennie said he was honoured to create the artwork on the traditional lands of the Boon Wurrung and Wurundjeri people, and said the bright camouflage design “celebrates our visible cultural identity”.

“Where in the past camouflage has been used to conceal, here it proudly reveals a strong and vibrant cultural history,” he said.

Members of the public can book Underpark for one hour, half-court sessions from 6am – 8pm on weekdays and 12pm – 8pm on weekends, with the court open for anyone to play on weekend mornings.

Bookings can be made at underpark.com.au

Keen Instagrammers have already taken to the social media platform to show their enjoyment of the new local amenity, with the hashtag #underparkmelb showing people both shooting hoops and using the vibrant space as a fashion shoot location.

But some locals have also voiced their scepticism about the space in a local residents’ Facebook group, drawing comparisons with the popular, open half-court at the nearby Boyd Community Hub.

“I love the relaxed, organic and generous way the community use the Boyd half-court now,” one group member said, referencing the approved high-rise development for the site by developer PDG.

Underpark will be open for bookings until Time & Place begin developing a new residential tower, with construction expected to start mid-year.

As well as being a hub for bookings, the Underpark website also includes a survey where members of the public can have their say on what they would like to see at the nearby Kings Way undercroft.

Amenity options in the survey include basketball facilities, a walking track, crossfit, a playground, green space and a skate park, as well as offering respondents the option of registering other ideas.

The results of the survey will be collated and submitted to the City of Melbourne to help inform the finer details for the future of the undercroft as part of the City Road Master Plan, which is located next to the 84 – 90 Queensbridge St site.

The site has been earmarked for development since 2014, with a permit for a 174-metre tower granted by the then Liberal Minister for Planning Matthew Guy.

At the time, the site was owned by Starryland Melbourne, a subsidiary of the Chinese group Financial Fook, and was sold to New Sky Group not long afterwards.

It was only last year that Time & Place acquired the site from New Sky Group for a reported $29 million, with a vow to completely redesign the development.

Time & Place’s new plans for the site include extending the building up an extra two floors, with the tower to now top out at 62 levels.

At the time of the site’s acquisition, Time & Place director Tim Price said the new building would not be another glass tower that Southbank has become known for.

“We’re looking for something edgy, with a New York feel, and activate a space that the public will want to engage with,” he said •