What's next for the city that stood still?

The City of Melbourne has unveiled the Melbourne Digital Time Capsule; a ‘snapshot in time’ of iconic and never-before-seen Melbourne locations under lockdown. Taking advantage of a quiet city, the project captured images and footage of life in Melbourne under lockdown and accessed spaces that might normally be ‘off-limits’. The time capsule features more than 20 locations, including both iconic landmarks and hidden gems. Many of these locations are off-limits or ‘on-pause’ due to the pandemic, while others are rarely seen secret spaces; but all are intrinsically connected to the historical or cultural fabric of Melbourne.

As the city takes steps towards re-opening, the images and footage captured will be preserved in The City Collection archive to help future generations understand life in Melbourne during COVID-19.

But as the luckier cities like Melbourne open up around the world, how will the behaviours of their inhabitants change in a post-pandemic world? Will the busy hustle that we once expected change shape? What will these ever evolving hubs of culture and life look like after such a huge global event? Only time will tell.

Maddie Kellaway