The award-winning South Bank Grand Arbour is a kilometre long arbour located in the South Bank Parklands in Brisbane, Australia. The greening structure functions as a pedestrian walkway which connects the Griffith Film School and Vulture Street to the Cultural Forecourt adjacent to QPAC, as well as the rest of the South Bank Parklands through which it runs. The vertical gardens of the arbour have become a defining symbol of South Bank with its 443 curling, tendril-like columns of steel, each covered with a train of vibrant magenta bougainvillea plants.
The creative design of the arbour, by Melbourne-based architectural firm Denton Corker Marshall, glows with colour and atmospheric mood lighting in the evening. Dedicated staff trim the living walls of the bougainvillea weekly, to ensure the stunning architectural vertical garden weaves lush and vibrant through the parklands.
Ronstan Tensile Architecture refined the specification with engineer, Aurecon, supplied the product and componentry and worked with our installers to realize the complex design. The client knew they could rely on our service and assistance accompanying materials. Not only did Ronstan supply material for this job, but we assisted with the design and specification of the arbour. A modified version of Ronstan’s AGSH single cable trellis system was chosen for its structural performance, refined aesthetics and longevity.
