Architectural Design 7

Question:
How has the site evolved from its original state to its current condition?
Look at the process of the development on the environment and its surrounding community.
Answer:
In it's earliest known state, the South Bank region belonged to the Turrbal + Jagera/Yuggera tribes and was used as a meeting place. The European settlement in the early 1850s, the Southbank region was integral to this development which quickly saw it become the business heart of the Brisbane CBD. In 1893, the site was struck by floods which saw the CBD be relocated to higher ground(the current CBD). After this it quickly established itself as a bustling port and industrial zone which was littered with markets, wharves, dance halls and theatres. It remained this way until post-WorldWar2 where South Bank started to decline. The Queensland Government made the decision to build the Performing Arts Centre, which whilst being architecturally well recieved did little to help South Banks decline. It wasn't until 1984, when the site was selected for World Expo '88(where previously it had been reduced to a couple of old hotels and some industrial buildings.
With the World Expo '88 saw the resurrection of South Bank and the view of Brisbane as a true World Class city for the first time, after the Expo saw the demolition of a large part of South Bank that the public lobbied to keep as 17 hectares of public parkland.
It is obvious that over it's years, Southbank, from way back since its indigenous occupiers to the state it is in today, has been a public domain, where people have met, a place of art, and also a commercial zone. It is important to mention that Victoria Bridge, which has been the main bridge into South Brisbane for most of Brisbane's settlement history is currently in its third iteration, the style of the bridges in each era seem to replicate the period it was around(First, plain and simple/early settlement style. Second, use of metal/complex/industrial style. Third, minimalistic design, curvature, shows its current use as the gateway to the arts and culture hub of Brisbane?). It has gone from basic land to the business heart of Brisbane, to an industrial zone, to a major world forum to the humble world class space it is today. It has suffered however, during various floods and periods of disarray, however these have done nothing but help shape Southbank as a truly unique area.