Melbourne Sights

Federation Square

#20 of 750 things to do in Melbourne

#10 of 2196 sights in Pacific

5 reviews | Write a review

Good for: art, food, meeting place, architecture, Nothing

Not good for: Anything

  • Address
    • cnr Flinders & Swanston Sts
  • Transport
    • Flinders Street
    • all Swanston St & Flinders St trams
  • Website
  • Phone
    • 03-9655 1900

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Lonely Planet review for Federation Square

A riotous explosion of steel, glass and abstract geometry, Federation Square is Melbourne’s meeting hub, where thousands of locals and visitors gather in the undulating forecourt each year for regular cultural events, sporting telecasts, t’ai chi classes, twilight jazz, Afrobeats and much more. When they’re not here to celebrate, protest, party or watch sport on the big telly, people fill the bars, restaurants, galleries and public lecture halls.

 

Traveller reviews for Federation Square (5)

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    Federation in a square devoid of right angles

    dlutzy does not recommend this,

    Proof that the brutalism school of architecture was indeed a terrible historical mistake Fed Square offends the eye no matter which way you turn. A truly madly badly designed and ugly public space. Too hot in summer. No protection from the elements in winter. Uneven concrete to trip up the tourists gullible enough to wander here, wondering why? Nowhere to sit down to read your guidebook to plan a rapid escape. Imagine an architect having a really bad day and throwing away a crumpled half finshed design for a town square. Then imagine someone was silly enough to try and construct something from the screwed up paper in concrete.

    There are many beautiful places to visit in Melbourne. This is not one of them.

    Good for: Nothing

    Not good for: Anything

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    Melbourne’s Meeting Mecca

    ladybirch recommends this,

    If the glass Pyramid of the Louvre is a scar on the face of Paris, then the architecture of Federation Square is your strange cousin Frank who has “personality issues."

    A Mecca for Melbourne experiences, with a plethora of restaurants, art galleries and cinemas, you can meet your friends, eat a chocolate Budda and have a drink by the Yarra River.

    Marketed as ‘Melbourne’s Place to Meet’, if you like your tourist destinations grey and angular then this is the ‘Place to Be.’

    Good for: food, art, location, meeting place, meeting other travelers, meeting locals

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    Cutting edge architecture

    steveomac recommends this,

    Love it or hate it. You're guaranteed to have an opinion.

    Good for: architecture, rallies

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    The gallery is fantastic, as is the gallery shop.

    mizsharp recommends this,

    I always go there too look for designery bits and pieces I don't need but must have! Every Saturday you can check out the second hand book market in the Atrium. And by the way... unlike some very vocal Melburnians I LOVE the architecture..

    Good for: food, architecture, art, design, second hand books, meeting place

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    Plenty of things to do...

    ride_on_postman recommends this,

    Plenty of excellent restaurants (especially Chocolate Buddha) and bars (both budget and high end), free museums upstairs (ACMII/Ian Potter).

    Some might hate the design, but it is very distinctive, no doubt about that.

    Also there are excellent public toilets on the north western corner, next to the convenience store.

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