Spring Place welcomes RMIT immersive art installation, The Arch of Spring

The Arch of Spring is a new immersive art installation that has launched at Spring Place, in collaboration with RMIT University

Jon Barkla CBRE Property Manager, RMIT student Yidan ‘Dyann’ Fang with Nicole Ward, Head of Portfolio (Office) ISPT

ISPT were pleased to launch a new immersive art installation at Spring Place in November, to explore how ESG awareness can inspire a sense of place and community.

The installation entitled ‘The Arch of Spring’, by RMIT student Yidan ‘Dyann’ Fang, was unveiled as the winner of the ISPT-led placemaking competition with RMIT University in Melbourne, as part of an ongoing series of collaborations with the university.

Located within the hustle and bustle of Madame Brussels Lane in ISPT’s Spring Place commercial precinct, tenant partners have embraced the lush architectural installation complete with edible plants, which was designed to enable people to come together to connect and collaborate, while activating our spaces.

Head of Portfolio (Office) Nicole Ward joined Fang and RMIT Architecture Senior Lecturer Dr Jan van Schaik to officially launch the new installation, commenting “Arch of Spring is the first installation in our partnership with RMIT to deliver meaningful public art that can create a lasting social impact through community engagement, while providing students with real-time commercial experience. We are proud to see this partnership continue to grow and support the recognition of emerging talent within the industry.”

Fang, who preceded her RMIT Master of Art (Art in Public Space) with a Bachelor of Landscape Architectural Design, said the design was inspired by urban environmental issues.  “The mini garden is a dome structure that is inspired by the environmental issue of urban heat island effect because it seems to me that global warming and urban heat island effect takes the form of an upside-down bowl that covers the city,” Fang said.

“The arch structure is meant to create a gathering place, to provide vitality and greenery in this site.”

As part of the collaboration with ISPT, RMIT supplied the collective creative minds of staff and students across many disciplines led by Dr Jan van Schaik over a 12 month period, while ISPT provided the public space and property management guidance throughout the process.

The Arch of Spring is the first in a series of collaborations between RMIT and ISPT, and follows ISPT’s recent sponsorship of RMIT’s School of Property awards, celebrating students who achieved the highest GPA in Masters of Property and Project Management, as part of our ongoing commitment to nurturing future talent.

The initiative also delivers on our commercial Partnership Experience Strategy, which is a key aspect of the Social pillar in our ESG Strategy. Read more in our FY2023 ESG Report.