- When you think of a cultural icon,
you might think of a national cuisine
or a really famous movie.
What you probably don't think of is an underground carpark.
But this, as you can see, is no ordinary carpark.
This is the South Lawn carpark
at the University of Melbourne,
and it's played a supersized role in design, engineering,
but also pop culture.
I'll explain.
(bell dinging)
- [Julian O'Shea] This is the University of Melbourne,
and that green, open space is part of the Parkville campus
and is the South Lawn.
It's what lies beneath that I'm gonna explore more
in this video, because it's unusual for a carpark
to have its own Wikipedia page
and listing on the Victorian Heritage Register.
Built in the 1970s, it was solving a common problem.
An increasing demand for parking, and a desire to retain
the open space and character of the university.
And this is South Lawn, the carpark is directly below us
and this is the area
that the university was trying to protect
by putting the carpark underground.
This was Australia's first ever
fully enclosed carpark underneath landscape,
and what the designer, Jan van der Molen achieved
was pretty remarkable.
I'll show you.
And these grand figures which guard the entry
were sculpted in 1880 by James Gilbert,
and they weren't originally here.
They were actually part of the Colonial Bank in the city,
and when that building was demolished in the 1930s
it was relocated here to the University of Melbourne.
But enough chatter, let's head inside.
(triumphant music)
And this is a pretty remarkable space.
The first time you walk in,
it's pretty overwhelming, actually.
It's dark, it's cool,
and it's a design that looks both futuristic and historic.
It's just that this remind me of are more like the Catacombs
or underground cathedral in Europe more than a carpark.
It really is a stunning design.
- [Julian O'Shea] The design of this carpark
has an industrial cement look with these bold arches,
and while it does have an impressive visual design,
it's also functional.
As this diagram from the time shows,
the goal was to build something
with enough structural support,
while also providing the space
for soil depth for trees and their root system,
as well as suitable drainage.
And I'll show you what this is like from above.
And from here, there are some hints
that something unusual is going on.
The trees, for example, are perfectly aligned,
but they're also equally spaced.
And that's to align with the pillars below.
And the geometric shape which this is
is a hyperbolic paraboloid,
essentially the saddle shape you get
when two curves intersect,
and the most famous hyperbolic paraboloid
is probably a Pringles chip.
- [Julian O'Shea] But let's move now
from the science to the arts.
There's one key cultural link
that this carpark is famous for, and that's Mad Max,
the 1979 original film starring Mel Gibson,
with the carpark being featured in this key moment.
And this film was a fit, and a surprise one, at that.
The budget was just 400,000 dollars,
and it went on to make over 100 million dollars globally,
setting the Guinness World Record
for the most profitable film ever.
And with such a limited budget,
the production team resorted to guerrilla film-making
around Melbourne and across the state,
using existing streets and blocking them off
to film without permits.
They avoided walkie-talkies
that might overlap with the police radio,
but they eventually did draw the attention
of Victoria police,
who ended up actually helping them close down roads
and escorting the vehicles.
And this has left such a mark,
that this is actually commonly known as The Mad Max Carpark.
And it's only a small jump from dystopian features
to fashion shows, with the carpark playing host
to a Myer autumn fashion launch featuring Jennifer Hawkins.
And I've done the work
of wading through all the interviews
to edit it down to just the opinions on the infrastructure,
because it was covered, and excuse the musical overlay.
(sentimental opera music)
- [Jennifer Hawkins] Oh my gosh, the University of Melbourne
is pretty incredible.
I love the grounds, I just love being here.
It's so relaxing and tranquil.
- The architecture's incredible.
(dance music) It's grungy, sexy, I love it.
I just think it's smashing, it's awesome.
- [Julian O'Shea] I think that's what she said,
and I think she was talking about the architecture.
If not, sorry, Jennifer Hawkins.
- Yeah, I think it's fabulous.
- Master Chef Australia thought this was the perfect place
to make contestants cook
chocolate themed dishes for Heston Blumenthal,
and the reaction as the people went inside
is pretty cool.
To be honest, it's pretty similar to the feeling that I had.
- Let's step inside the belly
of the Master Chef chocolate beast.
You'll be amazed, come on.
- [Female Contestant] Woo hoo!
- So, we follow the judges
into what we think is like a tunnel.
- [Female Contestant] Wow!
- Oh my God! - What is that?
(indistinct chatter)
- [Male Contestant] And it's this massive, massive
underground carpark.
[Intense Music]
- [Theresa] Honestly, it's like, wow.
It's got arches, and it's so medieval.
- [Julian O'Shea] And if you thought that Mad Max
was a big deal,
it was right here where a dish was made
that for some people,
might have had too much chocolate mousse.
- [Gary Mehigan] For some people,
it may be too much chocolate mousse
but come on mister Preston, never too much chocolate mousse.
- [Preston] Well, you-
- [Julian O'Shea] Clever engineering,
pop culture significance,
and a chocolate mousse disaster
is all I've ever wanted in a piece of infrastructure.
Hey, thanks for watching.
I really hope you've enjoyed it.
If you have, do subscribe,
or check out some of the other videos I've made
about design or Melbourne.
Otherwise, I'll catch you next week, I'm Julian O'Shea.
- [Gary Mehigan] For some people
it may be too much chocolate mousse,
but come on, mister Preston,
never too much chocolate mousse.
- [Preston] Well-