Federation Square is going to look a little different for most of January thanks to an impressive inflatable structure of tunnels and domes.
'Arboria' looks a little like a space station from the outside, but is actually a massive walk-in sculpture inspired by the forest. As you walk through, venturing from cathedral-like dome to dome, the tunnels glow in a kaleidoscope of colours thanks to natural sunlight. It's a totally immersive experience, using a soundscape of Ecuadorian cloud forest sounds to take you far away from Melbourne's CBD.
You can also get far away from the January heat because Arboria is air-conditioned!
The sculpture was created by Alan Parkinson of Architects of Air, a UK-based company that's been touring these inflatable worlds – known as luminaria – since 1992. This is one of the biggest luminariums the company has created; the central dome is ten metres high.
Arboria is at Federation Square from January 6 to 28, open daily from 10am to 8pm.