Piazza Italia at the northern end of Argyle Square on Lygon Street, Carlton is Melbourne's newest public open space and meeting place was officially opened on 29 January 2006
Lord Mayor John So said the Piazza will be a wonderful addition to Melbourne's famous Italian cultural precinct.
“For generations, Argyle Square has been a place where city residents, workers and visitors have stopped to soak up the atmosphere of Lygon Street, eat gelati and catch up with friends and family,” the Lord Mayor John So said.
The northern end of Argyle Square features new gardens, traditional porphyry stone paving, a giant 45m2 solar clock and stainless steel street furniture.
ASSDA Accredited Fabricator T.R.J. Engineering fabricated the 16 stainless steel double bench seats for the redevelopment.
In December 2005, Melbourne City Council released a statement announcing that all powder-coated seats, litter bins, benches and drinking fountains in the city centre will be replaced with stainless steel finishes over the next ten years to give the streetscape a sleek, modern feel.
Lord Mayor John So said the stainless steel replacements would be designed to improve its functionality for the elderly, the young and people with disabilities, while withstanding high levels of wear and tear.
“The maintenance cost of stainless steel is half that of powder-coated items, while its lifespan is twice as long,” the Lord Mayor said.
Also, to celebrate Melbourne's successful hosting of the 2006 Commonwealth Games and to recognise the many athletes who participated, Melbourne City Council commissioned T.R.J. Engineering to fabricate stainless steel cladding for existing street poles in Bourke Street.
These cladded fabrications proudly feature the names of all the teams that competed in the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games acid etched into the stainless steel.
This article featured in Australian Stainless magazine - Issue 35, Autumn 2006.