The evolution of the Ballarat Station Upgrade designs

We’re improving accessibility, safety and connectivity for all public transport users, while considering the heritage of Ballarat Station.

The final designs for the new accessible pedestrian overpass, lifts, stairs and upgraded northern entrance are now complete.

This fact sheet outlines how the Level Crossing Removal Project (LXRP) team has responded to feedback from the community, Heritage Victoria and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect on the concept designs.

Construction will start in early 2025 and be complete in 2026.

The LXRP design process

LXRP is the delivery agency for the Ballarat Station Upgrade.

Across our projects, the design process starts with comprehensive site investigations and an analysis of the specific characteristics and constraints of the site, as well as the allocated funding.

Considering the findings of this early investigative work, we then consider all the feasible options.

Once the preferred solution is confirmed, initial concept designs are released publicly, and we engage with the community and key stakeholder groups.

The feedback gathered during the concept design engagement period informs the development of the final designs.

The Ballarat Station Upgrade design process

We released the initial concept designs in June 2024. Over a 4 week engagement period, we asked the community to share their insights via our survey, receiving over 730 responses.

How community feedback helped shape the final designs

Through the survey responses we heard that heritage considerations are very important to the community and that you support accessibility improvements at the station.

We also heard that a more unique overpass design and less imposing block-shaped structures for the lift and stairwell on the northern side of the station would be preferred and that views in the heritage precinct are important to the community.

In response to this feedback and that of Heritage Victoria and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect, we have reduced the physical and visual impacts of the new structures, without compromising accessibility.

Other community feedback included some suggested alternative locations and solutions for the overpass, and some community preferences for landscaping, lighting, signage, parking, seating and waiting areas.

Read the full community engagement report.

Accessibility and safety features of the northern lift and stairs

A floor to ceiling glass panel has been added on the bus interchange side, and glass sections on the platform side. This creates new views of the station precinct from the lift, enhancing community safety and celebrating heritage.

Windows in the lift doors and back wall have been positioned so people, including those in a wheelchair or on a mobility scooter, can see in and out for comfort and safety.

People waiting for the lift on the belvedere viewing areas can see and be seen from the station platforms and the bus interchange.

We’ve also increased the size of the buttons and the braille on the lift panels and improved the signage design to be bigger and easier to read.

As a result of a light study undertaken to ensure high levels of contrast on the floors, with no shadows or patterns, the tactiles around the lifts and stairs will be more visible.

Heritage Victoria and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect

The station precinct is included in the Victorian Heritage Register and the Ballarat Station Upgrade works are subject to approval by Heritage Victoria.

Heritage Victoria supports the need for Ballarat Station users to have equitable access in the station and for the project design to achieve compliance under the relevant accessibility legislation.

On Friday 20 September 2024, Heritage Victoria issued the Ballarat Station Upgrade project a permit with conditions. These included a required revision to the design of the overpass, lift and stairs to respond more appropriately to the heritage values of the station and reduce physical and visual impacts.

Heritage Victoria requested better integration between engineering and architecture to ensure the new overpass provides a sympathetic yet contemporary addition to the station.

Our team has worked closely with Heritage Victoria and the Office of the Victorian Government Architect to refine the designs. Heritage Victoria has endorsed the revised final designs and closed the design permit conditions.

An architectural tapestry at Ballarat Station

Like many historic buildings with an ongoing functional purpose, Ballarat Station has evolved over time.

Starting in the 1860s with the original building north of the rail line, the existing footbridge was added in 1877. This was followed by the clock tower and southern station building in 1889, and then the building upgrades of 2003. Most recently, the multi-deck car park opened in 2019, followed by the new bus interchange in 2021.

These additions have created an architectural tapestry of styles, materials, patterns, geometry and building methods at Ballarat Station, which the team has integrated and celebrated the final designs.

The accessible pedestrian overpass, lifts, stairs and upgraded northern entry are the next step in the evolution of the Ballarat Station precinct.

The revised overpass design

The community told us they wanted a unique overpass design that better reflects the heritage of the station precinct, with the least possible impact on the views of the existing heritage buildings.

We’ve listened and reduced the height of the overpass by half a metre and changed the materials and colour palette, resulting in a unique design with never-before seen precinct views.

Colours and materials

The overpass cladding is now a more delicate ‘veil’ for the internal structures to sit behind. It’s made of high-quality, metallic silver-grey aluminium with undulating curves. The internal trusses are warm mid-grey.

The revised colours complement the existing heritage buildings and resist discolouration from dust and dirt.

Honed concrete on the overpass floor provides a slip resistant, high-quality floor solution appropriate for securely gripping wheels.

Never-before-seen views

We’ve created ‘belvedere’ balconies – elevated viewing areas with glass balustrades in both lift landings. These look-out points showcase the heritage views of the clock tower and train hall while providing enhanced visual connectivity, demonstrating safety and heritage considerations working together.

The perforations in the overpass cladding material provide graded transparency. They become progressively larger from eye level down, for improved visibility to and from the overpass. While from eye level up, and at floor level, the perforations become smaller for weather protection.

Accessibility and safety features

The overpass is wide enough for 2 wheelchairs, mobility scooters or people pushing prams to pass each other. Visual connectivity is a key safety feature for everyone, and the overpass transparency and belvedere balconies maximise this feature.

Response to heritage

Reducing the height of the top of the overpass by half a metre helps to minimise the visual impact of the overpass. This change improves the clocktower view from the east end of Platform 2 and features more natural sky from inside the train hall.

The trusses (large metal beams that support bridges) in the overpass final design reference the historic trusses in the train hall roof. Known as Pratt trusses, they combine vertical and diagonal geometry.

The curves of the overpass cladding reference the heritage ironwork around the platform canopies.

The belvedere viewing areas provide never-before-seen views of the heritage precinct from a unique space between the new and the historic.

The revised northern stairwell and lift shaft design

The community told us they would like the design to look less modern and have less of a block form. Some people said they thought the white colour was too stark.

We’ve listened and opened up the stairwell, reduced the size of the lift shaft, revised the colour palette and updated the landscaping.

The stairs

The open stairwell reduces the mass of the structure and breaks up the block form. It also provides enhanced visual connectivity across the precinct, demonstrating safety and heritage considerations working together.

The generous roof canopies on the stairwell overhang sufficiently to provide both rain and sun protection.

The lift shaft

The height of the lift shaft has been reduced by half a metre and the depth by almost a metre to reduce the visual impact of the structure, while maintaining the required lift size.

The colour is a soft off-white, complementing the warm mid-grey features of the staircase.

The colour palette

We’ve replaced the bright white with a combination of warm mid-grey and soft off-white, which tones down the visual effect of the structures and complements the metallic silver-grey of the overpass.

The landscaping

The landscaping has been updated to reflect the community survey responses. It combines native ground level plants and native ground flowering plants.

Response to heritage

The structures supporting the stairwell roof canopies (outriggers) provide a unique, contemporary design, while referencing the historic architecture seen in the heritage metal and wood supports of the platform canopies and ceilings inside the station.

The vertical balustrades (railings) are a contemporary take on the existing balustrades of the heritage pedestrian overpass.

The northern station entrance

A key deliverable of the Ballarat Station Upgrade is a fully accessible entrance to the station. As the precinct has evolved, the northern entrance has become the main station entrance so making it fully accessible is essential. We’ll build a ramp and stairs and install an automatic swing door.

Bluestone

The new stairs will have bluestone tiles referencing the nearby historic bluestone garden beds and the bluestone throughout the station precinct.

A heritage look door

The newly designed automatic swing door will be made of wood with glass sections, creating a heritage look and symmetry with nearby heritage doors.

Landscaping

The community selected a mix of native ground level plants and native ground flowering plants for the landscaping in this area.

Weather protection

During our community engagement earlier this year, several people commented on the importance of weather protection in Ballarat.

Weather protection is a key consideration in the design process. The revised final designs carefully consider sun, wind and rain protection through the:

• generous sized canopies on the stairwells, designed to protect from rain and sun
• glazing to 2.4m on the belvedere balconies to protect from wind and rain
• graded size of the perforations in the overpass cladding which provide good airflow while buffering against wind and rain
• undulating curved formation of the overpass cladding which helps prevent wind driven rain coming into the overpass.

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