Since opening in 2003, the revolutionary urban design of Federation Square, Melbourne has captured the imagination of visitors and residents alike. At the heart of its appeal is Nearamnew, a 7500 square metre ground pattern woven into the fabric of the square's main plaza. In collaboration, artist Paul Carter and Lab architecture studio have produced a complex poetic sculpture that is public artwork at its best. As pedestrians cross its patterned surface, they are invited to participate, to stop and read the text, to feel the texture embedded within, to play hopscotch in ""The Child's Vision"", to experience the work from within. ""Mythform"" tells the story of how this extraordinary work was conceived, developed and installed. A selection from some of the hundreds of studies, drawings and plans made over the four years of design and construction allow the reader 'behind the scenes' into the making of this immense project; the detailed photographs reveal the beauty of the design at all stages of its progress and Paul Carter's commentary provides insights into how the 'concrete poems' commemorate the extraordinary wealth of myth, legend and dream associated with Federation Square.
