Urban Drama, Architecture, Art and Wedding Photography
Welcome to Serendipity Photography’s new section on Urban drama, the surprising possibilities within our built environment. As the weeks unfold we hope to bring you more about our visionary architects and city planners who have contributed so greatly to Melbourne as a city with a rich diversity of localities for contemporary wedding photography. Here we will link through to related sections and articles on some of Serendipity photography’s favourite contemporary wedding photography backgrounds. Look here for links to pages on some of our most interesting architects, buildings and contemporary spaces.
Docklands
For years the areas around the harbour were known to be under appreciated and underutilised, covered as they were with dusty warehouses, the throb and decay of industry, diesel pumps and toll booths. Docklands was but a gleam in the eye of some city visionaries. Now although the Docklands area is still not finished but it has a great variety of spaces, public art, great buildings and urban life.
Every façade reveals a new texture. Sculptures abound and cool contemporary detailing, your latte sits on a polished concrete table next to laminates, bronzed metallics and cast glass surfaces. At Serendipity photography we appreciate the weathered timbers and cold green glass walls, the coffee, grills and habourscapes. Stay tuned for more detailed information about some of our particularly favourite buildings at the Docklands precinct, and the rich visual possibilities within their design for contemporary wedding location photography.
Here is a list of some of our favourite built spaces, architecture and art that we have already introduced.
Crown, Melbourne’s massive entertainment complex.
Webb Bridge, a collaboration between firm Corker Marshall and artist Robert Owen.
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre, designed by Woods Bagot and NH Architecture.
Forward Surge designed by highly regarded Australian artist Inge King,
Vault (Yellow Peril), the controversial work of Ron Robertson Swan.
What better way to introduce the Serendipity Photography Blog new section on Urban Drama than with an article on the the West Gate Freeway! Huge lines and curves thread their way across water and land, close to some of Melbourne’s most diverse and impressive contemporary wedding locations. Enjoy!
West Gate Freeway
Melbourne is home to some fantastic pieces of architecture and landmarks, which with a little planning and passion, can feature as a striking backdrop in your wedding album. The West Gate Freeway which begins in the Docklands precinct, boasts strong dramatic lines and a modern colour palate. When wedding day photographs are captured from underneath the overpass the result is bold, interesting compositions. Large sections of sky cast soft natural light on the couple, and a striking contrast is visible between the organic flow of the brides veil and the confident structure of the Freeway. Serendipity recently had the privilege of capturing some special wedding day moments with the visual and architectural support of the West Gate.
History of The West Gate Freeway
Plans for the construction of the West Gate Freeway began as early as 1929. It was during this period the Melbourne Plan of Town Development first discussed the need for a road to connect Melbourne’s South and West.The West Gate Freeway which is an east-west freeway in Melbourne’s inner south and west, connecting the CBD and Citylink with the Princes Freeway and Western Ring Road, wasIt traverses Melbourne’s most famous piece of infrastructure, the West Gate Bridge, after which it was named. The freeway is eight lanes wide along its entire length, and carries the M1 route marker.
Construction of the freeway commenced in 1968. In 1971 the grand opening was overseen by The Country Roads Board, providing 6 lanes of traffic. Since then continuous improvements have been made; VicRoads (funded by Better Roads Victoria) were responsible for widening the road from 6 to 8 lanes in February 2000.
One of the aesthetic draw cards of the freeway is the gracefully titled ‘House in the Sky’ the 2 dimensional artwork which sits over the interchange between the West Gate Freeway and the Western Ring Road. The structure was designed by Brearley Middleton Architects in 2001 as part of the ‘Images if the West’ initiative run by the city councils. And is one of the unique backdrops present along the freeway which render it much more than a transportation hub, indeed an appealing location for wedding photography.
Serendipity highly recommend utilising the architectural lines of the underside of the freeway– a particularly appealing option if you’re planning to carry out your celebrations around the Docklands area. With views of the stunning Webb Bridge visible just behind the structure, the freeway entrance is a versatile and attractive location.
Beyond the Docklands there are a plethora of striking and diverse locations which bridge the gap between art and functional architecture. Stay tuned as Serendipity bring you more photos and pages from other sites of urban drama and surprise!