Federation Square– colloquially known as “Fed Square” is currently celebrating its 10th anniversary. Incredibly controversial during its construction, it has over the years “mellowed” and been accepted for what it represents. The glass walls of the Atrium space covers a lane way-like space which is approx. five stories high with glazed walls and roof.

The labyrinth uses a passive cooling system sandwiched above the railway lines. Environmentally over the seasons, during hot summer nights; cold air is pumped in the combed space, cooling down the concrete while the heat absorbed during the day is pumped out. The following day, cold air is pumped from the labyrinth out into the atrium through floor vents. This keeps the atrium up to 12 deg C cooler than outside and comparable to conventional air-conditioning but using one-tenth the energy by producing one-tenth of the carbon dioxide. During winter the process is reversed; so warm daytime air stored in the Labyrinth overnight is pumped back into the atrium during the day. In a nutshell, cool eh?

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