Spotswood Yards
CASE STUDY:clientBlue Earth
Footscray, Melbourne
locationPublic Art Strategy + DA Approval
SCOPESCALE5 Towers 32 Floors Total
01 overviewA New Skyline for Melbourne’s West
Spotswood Yards is a major urban renewal precinct set to reshape Melbourne’s inner west, with five residential towers rising beside one of the city’s most iconic gateways. Juddy Roller was engaged to create the public art strategy required for development approval and to deliver the monumental art program, transforming the towers into a large-scale open-air gallery.
Working directly with Hobsons Bay’s planning and arts departments and property developers, Blue Earth, Juddy Roller guided the project through curatorial planning, approval, compliance and permits to installation, ensuring the artworks were fully integrated into the development from strategy through to delivery.
02 the challengeSpotswood Yards needed more than scale. It needed identity
Without a powerful public art strategy, Spotswood Yards risked becoming another major residential development in a sea of many - visible, but not memorable.
What the development was up againstCreate a defining cultural identity that could anchor the precinct from the outset
Risk of five major towers feeling disconnected from place, community and the character of Melbourne’s west
Approval required for public art strategy capable of supporting planning approval, stakeholder confidence, and long-term precinct value
Create a highly visible outdoor gallery with lasting public impact, seen daily from the West Gate Bridge and the surrounding neighborhood
Bring a media buzz to the development through the use of integrated public art
03 the LINE UPGlobal Talent, Local Stories
Once complete, the artists curated to support the public art strategy and Development Approval will be sourced both from within Australia and from around the world, ensuring the development is viewed through a unique lens, setting it apart from other generic public art programs often integrated into developments across the country.
Next Artist Announcement
Aryz
SpainNean
belgium202704 the deliveryThe project was delivered across a complex live-site environment, with multiple tower elevations, elevated work platform access, development approval conditions and strict compliance requirements managed alongside the broader construction program. Juddy Roller coordinated artists, builders, consultants and council stakeholders to ensure the public art strategy moved from development approval through to installation safely, efficiently and at scale.
Technically Challenging Flawlessly Executed
Precinct-Scale Integration
A phased rollout across 2025–2027, synchronised with major residential releases - Porter, Flagman, Signal House and Fleet -so the art lands in step with construction, not after it.
High-Altitude Access
1,254 square metres of artwork applied across 32.5 floors of vertical facade, in a live construction site, using coordinated swing stages and lift access to deliver museum-grade work at building scale.
Architectural Integration
Artworks built into the architectural concept, not painted over it as a mere surface treatment, with long-term maintenance planning to protect a collection designed to last 20+ years without further maintanace
Compliance & Multi-Artist Sequencing
Full OHS compliance and multi-artist sequencing inside a live, active development - delivered alongside Hamilton Marino without compromising site productivity or safety.
Floors 32
1245
square metersLASTING legacyMulti Tower
Open Art galleryPermanent
05 outcomesA development people actually remember.
→ Strong audience engagement during and after the installation process. Including 250,000+ organic content views across social channels
→ Increased visibility and awareness within Melbourne's inner west market.
→ A distinctive visual layer embedded within the development itself - not in ads that disappear
→ A permanent mural collection contributing to long-term brand identity, story telling and local culture
From Development Approval to Precinct Defining Asset
This project demonstrates Juddy Roller’s ability to translate public art into a powerful placemaking and development strategy for major residential precincts. By combining cultural strategy, artist networks, planning coordination and complex live-site delivery, Juddy Roller helped transform Spotswood Yards from a collection of towers into a defining visual landmark for Melbourne’s west, creating long-term identity, public value and a point of difference beyond traditional property marketing.
“Projects like this play a highly valuable role in supporting housing choice while strengthening the vibrant, inclusive community that Footscray is known for.”
KATIE HALL,
Footscray MP