THE RAIL

ARTIST TEAM: JON DENARO, BEC JUNIPER, LINTON PARTINGTON, BRETT TODMAN, AARON FRY, ROM DENARO, NINA JUNIPER, JEBEDIAH SUN, CHE DENARO & HAYLEY PARTINGTON

CLIENT: BLACKBURNE

ENGINEER: FORTH CONSULTING

LOCATION: CORNER OF ROKEBY ROAD & ROBERTS ROAD, SUBIACO

COMPLETED: 2023

At VOXLAB, authenticity is of utmost importance to us. We constantly seek fresh approaches and new perspectives, particularly when designing for public environments in the heart of Subiaco. Our goal is to create transformative experiences for the average person and elicit meaningful viewer responses.

To establish a strong connection to the site's origins, we delved into the history of the railway line, which played a pivotal role in the area's growth. The original homestead built by John Rowland Jones in 1886 and the significance of the railway in shaping the historic suburb of Subiaco served as a fantastic starting point for our concept. The populous Subiaco at the time was still several years away and only a handful of trains ran each day between Perth and Fremantle. At night the train stopped at the platform when a match was struck. To stop Mr Jones from becoming lost in the bush, Mrs Jones would often leave a candle burning in the window to help guide him home at night from the station. The importance of the railway in establishing this historic suburb in Perth as well as the site history of the beacon was a fantastic starting point. Transforming a material and melding it into something ambitious was an aspiration of VOXLAB. The railway line has been sourced from Dwellingup for this project and has direct links to the original railway line through Subiaco. These forms, integrated with lighting, will act as a welcoming beacon for the new precinct, drawing people into this iconic landmark site.