FORMER ROYAL WOMEN’S HOSPITAL
MMW at the Former Royal Women’s Hospital
MMW have been clearing cobwebs and shuffling dust from tired, crumbling walls to repair and revive the disused, concrete basement of the Former Royal Women’s Hospital – the new 2015 flagship venue. Originally a ballroom, the perfectly eerie space will transform into the sensorial core for Melbourne's music punters and art lovers throughout this year's program.
Harking back to its establishment in 1858, this site was home to the Royal Women’s Hospital – the leading institution for women’s health and innovation and the birthplace of six generations of Melburnians – till its closure in 2008.
Now owned and managed by Melbourne University’s Carlton Connect Initiative the entire Former Royal Women’s Hospital building will be redeveloped by the organisation in stages to evolve into a hub for sustainability research and innovation.
In keeping with City of Melbourne’s commitment to sustainability, MMW is respectfully repurposing the basement, its maze of surrounding abandoned offices, kitchens, plant and steam rooms, as a place for dancing once more for this year’s event. Retrofitting with lighting and sound, the existent parquetry floors will also be restored. And, for the first time, MMW will offset all greenhouse gas emissions at its flagship venue to be carbon neutral.
Expect a diverse selection of genres from dirty rock to funk, soul, techno, dance, pop and minimal. MMW at the Former Royal Women’s Hospital will stage a luminous line-up of local and international headline acts and daily events curated by Melbourne's famed labels and promoters. Lunchtime shows and after work DJ sessions will offer a dose of music to break the grind; while special performances and activities will spark fun all day long on the grounds of this unique Melbourne building.
MMW will serve up a selection of food for lunch and dinner on the outdoor deck from some of Melbourne's most popular food trucks, while a well-stocked bar tends to punters' thirsts.
Enter the venue at the corner of Swanston and Grattan streets in Carlton.