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FIRST LOOK: Creative West Concept Design
Creative West brings together a library, performing arts venue and town park in Footscray’s thriving and welcoming civic heart: a ‘home base’ that strengthens community life, renews the day and night- time economy, and positions Footscray as a gateway to the Creative west.
For more than a decade, the community has advocated for Creative West. The concept design, publicly released by Council on 21 July 2026, has been informed by extensive engagement, community co-design and the guidance of Wurundjeri Elders every step of the way.
The design team is now progressing more detailed design work, with the final design on track to launch early next year and ready for construction, subject to funding, by March 2027.
Image 1 of 5
Aerial view
A revitalised heart
Concept plans
The Park and Public Realm
Basement car park
Ground Floor
Level 1
Level 2a
Level 2b
Located between the established character of Barkly Street and newer development, Creative West will connect old and new Footscray through revitalised laneways, improved connections and welcoming public spaces.
Creative West's Town Park will be a welcoming public space at the heart of the precinct, designed for everyday use as well as small community events, performances and celebrations.
Featuring generous tree canopy, flexible lawns, seating, and shaded gathering spaces, the park will provide a green retreat in Footscray's CBD while creating opportunities for connection, creativity and community life. The design prioritises people, with strong pedestrian connections, safety, active edges and spaces that support activity throughout the day and evening.
During engagement, the community identified trees, and greenery as the highest priority for the public open space, followed by shade, cool spaces and opportunities for outdoor performances and events. Through co-design, participants also emphasised the importance of safety, accessibility, cultural storytelling, flexible community use and creating a space that reflects Footscray's unique identity.
Creative West's library is designed as a contemporary learning, creativity and community hub that supports people of all ages and backgrounds. Spanning three levels, it combines collections, quiet study areas, technology, meeting rooms, family spaces, creative studios and community gathering spaces to create a welcoming destination for everyday use. More than a place to borrow books, the library which extends to a shared foyer been designed as Footscray's civic "living room" - a place to learn, connect, create and belong.
During community engagement, participants identified quiet study and relaxation spaces, social and cultural programs, technology access, children's spaces and flexible community facilities as key priorities. Community members consistently described the library as a place to spend time rather than simply pass through, highlighting the importance of comfort, accessibility, creativity and opportunities for connection.
The concept design responds to these priorities through a mix of quiet and active spaces, dedicated creative and technology facilities, family-focused environments, accessible community meeting roomsA 500-seat theatre brings performance to Melbourne's west. Designed around a thrust stage, where the stage extends into the audience and seating wraps around the performance space, it creates a more intimate and engaging experience that brings performers and audiences closer together. Fully automated and highly adaptable, the theatre is designed to support a diverse range of performances, from theatre and music to circus, immersive experiences and multi-artform works.
Theatre mode - Small Thrust Stage
Theatre mode: Large Thrust Stage
Theatre Mode: Storytelling mode
Theatre mode: In The Round
Background
Overview
Engagement history
In June 2020, Council endorsed a preferred concept for Creative West following extensive community engagement undertaken in 2019–2020.
More than five years later, Footscray and the inner west continue to grow and evolve, with new residents, changing community needs and increasing demand for cultural infrastructure.
In April 2024, Council hosted the ‘Get a Taste of Creative West’ event, where community feedback confirmed continued support for the project.
In early 2025, Council secured $5 million in Australian Government funding, matched by Council, to progress planning and design for Creative West. Council appointed the project design team, led by Architectus in collaboration with Public Realm Lab and GLAS Landscape Architects.
Building on previous engagement, Council undertook further consultation to test and confirm community priorities and ensure the concept design reflects current aspirations. This engagement attracted more than 890 community responses in addition to in-depth discussions through 19 focus groups. The purpose was not to start again, but to check that the project remains on the right track and continues to reflect community needs.
To support the design process, a 27-member Community Voice Co-design Group was established to test and refine the concept design at critical stages, ensuring it reflects the diversity of Maribyrnong’s community. The project has also been shaped through ongoing engagement with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation.
FAQs
Creative West is a connected, creative precinct that revitalises Footscray, enriches community life, and strengthens creative industries across Melbourne’s West.
It brings together a library, performing arts centre and town park in Footscray’s thriving and welcoming civic heart: a ‘home base’ that strengthens community life, renews the day and night- time economy, and positions Footscray as a gateway to the Creative west.
Connected to Country and shaped by Footscray’s growing and diverse community, the precinct creates opportunities for learning, making and connection through the everyday use of shared indoor and outdoor spaces.
It reflects Footscray’s rich multicultural identity in its design and programming, supporting major events alongside community use through a mix of professional creative infrastructure and flexible, accessible spaces.
Creative West drives economic and social opportunity by supporting creative industries, entrepreneurship and inclusive participation. Integrated with broader city-wide activation, the cultural precinct is a catalyst for urban renewal, attracting investment and visitors to Footscray CBD.
Creative West’s low carbon design and commitment to enhance biodiversity demonstrate Maribyrnong’s leadership as a resilient, future focused city.
Creative West's history
The City of Maribyrnong has a long history of creativity, both from residents and visitors.
We’re home to a large creative population and we’re also home to a culturally rich and diverse community. We are one of 11 creative urban neighbourhoods in Victoria – identified by Creative Victoria – and the only one in Melbourne’s west.
Creative West was previously known as the NeXT project. The current name captures the spirit of the project and our aspirations.
Advocacy and planning for Creative West dates back to 2015, when demand for community facilities was first identified by Council and the community.
Between 2019 and 2020, you told us you wanted:
- a library of the future to encourage more visitors to the area
- multi-use spaces
- study rooms and programs for all ages
- community spaces for cultural events and meeting rooms for local groups
- talks and lectures
- spaces with greenery, windows, and natural materials
- quiet, calm spaces.
At the June 2020 Council Meeting, Council endorsed the community's preferred concept for Creative West.
Council has also continued to advocate to State and Federal Governments. In 2025, the Australian Government provided $5 million funding, matched by Council, to support the design of Creative West.
Footscray is a vital cultural and commercial centre in Melbourne’s inner west, with a proud migrant history, thriving creative sector, and strong local character.
But in recent years, growing concerns around public safety, antisocial behaviour, and urban neglect have impacted confidence in the precinct. These concerns – both real and perceived – risk undermining the area's potential and the wellbeing of its community.
Creative West will help improve central Footscray to become a key destination in Melbourne’s west. It will bring more visitors to the area, helping grow the economy in the Footscray CBD and connect residents to services and community.
The project complements the Footscray CBD Place Plan 2025/26 which commits Council to short-term actions to improve amenity in the Footscray CBD.
Creative West is also listed in our Advocacy Plan 2025-28 as a project that will secure lasting social, cultural and economic benefits for the west.
The new town park will connect to the broader Footscray CBD, providing increased greenery and canopy coverage – building on feedback we’ve heard through other projects, including the Council Plan 2025-29.
The upgraded library will provide a contemporary and modern space to meet current and future community needs. It responds to what we’ve heard from respondents on the Library Plan, where we heard calls for extended opening hours, a larger and more diverse collection, and additional programs and learning opportunities.
The new performing arts facility will provide a dedicated, purpose-built performing arts venue in Melbourne’s West. It strengthens Footscray as the only creative neighbourhood in Melbourne’s west and will provide professional facilities for arts organisations and performers in our City. This is aligned with Council’s Creative Maribyrnong Strategy and Live Music Action Plan.
To deliver the scale required for this project, Council is unable to self-fund and needs investment from both State and Federal Governments.
Council has already committed land to the project, $5 million funding for planning and design and will commit further funding when it secures government support.
Council has also been actively advocating for the project and was successful in obtaining $5 million in funding from the Australian Government (Urban Precincts and Partnerships Program) for the planning and design of Creative West.
Council is calling on State and Federal Governments to invest in this precinct to create a lasting impact in Footscray for generations.
It's been over five years since Council endorsed the Concept Design in 2020.
We know things have changed – the population has grown, and new people are moving into Footscray and the inner-west.
Since then, we hosted the ‘Get a taste of Creative West’ event in April 2024 and heard that the community still wanted Creative West. Then we undertook extensive community engagement in early 2026 to determine community priorities and to inform design. Now we are in the concept design phase, testing our designs with a Community Co-design Group.
Co-design
Creative West Community Voice Co-Design Group
Purpose
The Community Voice Co-design process was established to ensure community experience, local knowledge and stakeholder perspectives directly informed and refined the Creative West Concept Design. Community members worked alongside Council and the Design Team to test ideas, identify priorities and help shape the future identity, experience and functionality of the precinct.
How it was done
- 27 Community Voice members were appointed, with 24 actively participating in the co-design process.
- Participants represented a diverse cross-section of the Maribyrnong community, including First Nations people, multicultural communities, people with disability, LGBTIQA+ communities, traders, artists and parents.
- Four facilitated co-design sessions (Two half-day workshops and two short online sessions) were held between April and June 2026.
- Members tested user journeys, reviewed concept designs, explored design narratives and helped refine the design principles guiding Creative West.
What the community told us
Community members consistently identified that Creative West should be:
- Safe, welcoming and accessible for everyone.
- A place that reflects Footscray's unique identity, including its First Nations heritage, multicultural communities, creativity, food, arts and industrial history
- Flexible and adaptable so it can evolve with community needs over time]
- Connected to surrounding streets, businesses, public transport and public spaces.
- Inclusive and affordable, with spaces that support learning, gathering, performance, creativity and community connection.
Key outcomes and influence on design
Community feedback helped shape the evolving concept design, including:
- Improved entry points, wayfinding and pedestrian connections.
- Greater focus on safety, lighting and activation around Apple Alley, Town Park and surrounding streets.
- Enhanced public gathering spaces, seating, shade and event infrastructure.
- Stronger integration of First Nations stories, multicultural identity and local narratives throughout the precinct.
- A design approach focused on flexibility, inclusion, sustainability and long-term community use.
- 86% of participants felt they had "quite a lot" or "a great deal" of influence on the design.
- 92% of participants felt their experience and local knowledge were strongly or mostly heard
The strongest message from participants was that Creative West should remain useful, adaptable and community-led for future generations.
Co-design Group member feedback
"Congrats to design team and their ability to capture the nuance and layers of the place so beautifully - well done - doesn’t feel like a building, feels like an experience." – Community Voice Co-Design Group member.
"Creative West matters because it's a place the whole community can be together." – Community Voice Co-Design Group member.
Wurundjeri engagement
Shaped by Wurundjeri Knowledge and Connection to Country
Creative West has been informed through ongoing engagement with the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation, including workshops with Aunties and the Wurundjeri Education Team throughout the briefing and concept design process. This collaboration has helped ensure the precinct reflects the stories, knowledge and living culture of Country, rather than treating First Nations history as a standalone feature.
Wurundjeri engagement highlighted the importance of understanding Country through its landscapes, waterways, seasons and ecological systems. These ideas have informed the design narrative for Creative West, drawing inspiration from the Maribyrnong (Mareingalk) River, local wetlands, volcanic plains and the Wurundjeri Seven Seasons. Opportunities for storytelling, learning, native planting, public art and cultural expression will be embedded throughout the precinct to create an experience that celebrates Country, culture and community.
A Living Expression of Culture
The design embraces a shared vision of Creative West as a place of meeting, connection and exchange - where different cultures, stories and generations come together on Wurundjeri Country. From landscape and ecology to public spaces and cultural programming, the precinct seeks to create meaningful opportunities for learning, gathering and belonging while acknowledging the enduring custodianship of the Wurundjeri People. Engagement with Wurundjeri representatives will continue through future design stages to ensure Country remains at the heart of Creative West
Broad community engagement 2026
Community Engagement ran over five weeks in early 2026, building on previous engagement work, with over 890 responses collected through surveys, ideas, drawings and votes both online and in person. In addition, 129 people from across the community – including traders, creatives, community groups, and locals of diverse backgrounds, ages and abilities – took part in 19 focus groups to uncover rich conversations and ideas.
In-person engagement events included Get a Taste of Creative West, which activated the existing Footscray Library into a thriving space filled with dance, circus, food, and community connection. A taste of things to come for Footscray.
A number of themes emerged as community priorities, including:
- inclusive and welcoming civic space
- affordable and accessible spaces that support making, rehearsal and performance
- safety and comfort, day and night
- a green and shady outdoor public space – a ‘living room’ for the CBD
- learning, making and knowledge exchange opportunities
- cultural identity, representation and genuine inclusion
- precinct integration with the wider Footscray CBD
- flexible and adaptable spaces that can shift and respond to need
The 2026 Phase 1 Community Engagement report can be downloaded here.
Our extensive community engagement in 2026
See how more than 1,100 community responses and in-depth conversations with 19 diverse focus groups are shaping priorities and guiding the project.
Get a taste of Creative West: 2024
On Saturday 6 April 2024, Council held a free community event with Jacinta Parsons as MC, called Get a Taste of Creative West. This was held at the Footscray Library car park (corner of French Street and Paisley Street, Footscray).
The event celebrated local creativity and culture, featuring live music and performances from artists such as Jen Cloher, T’HONI, Nikodimos and his Orchestra, and L2R Dance.
Snuff Puppets featured with roaming puppets and workshops provided by Women's Circus.
There was a pop-up library with story times and craft activities, food vans, and family-friendly activities held throughout the afternoon.
We also received 170 postcards from the event in support of Creative West.
Previous Engagement: 2019-2020
Advocacy and planning for Creative West dates back to 2015 when demand for community facilities was first identified by Council and the community.
We held seven focused workshops where we sought to understand the ambitions and opportunities for what a new library, community and cultural building could be.
More recent engagement occurred between November 2019 and March 2020 on aspects of a library, cultural and community hub. We held thirteen pop-ups across the City and an online survey.
We heard from 1,255 people:
TIS: 131 450
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