Sea Dragon comes to life in city amid funding call

ARCHITECTS have put on display a scale model of a proposed “icon” tourist attraction for Geelong’s waterfront.
JOH Architects’ Sea Dragon wind turbine sculpture won $10,000 from Senia Lawyers in 2012’s Icon for Geelong competition, promoted in the Independent.
The architecture firm said its design drew inspiration from Geelong’s historic links to farming and industry while also incorporating an environmentally-sustainable vision for the city.
The design features seven masts holding aloft wind turbines that drive a corkscrew-like structure that creates a wave-effect at water level.
The 75m structure would sit on a floating pontoon connected to an existing breakwater, leaving waterfront land unaffected.
Senia Lawyers is displaying the Sea Dragon model by appointment in the firm’s office, at 94 Gheringhap St, Geelong.
The firm’s Andrew Senia, who initiated the Icon for Geelong competition, said Sea Dragon could be a “unique” tourist attraction to help boost the city’s economy.
The design and icon competition came at no cost to the three levels of government, which should now back construction of Sea Dragon, Mr Senia said.
He believed the return on investment would be “thousands” of visitors to the region annually and inspiration for residents in “a difficult period of Geelong’s history”.
Mr Senia thanked Deakin University’s Professor Hisham Elkadi and the Independent for helping the icon project.
“Sea Dragon is a fine example of what can be achieved by private individuals for the benefit of their community,” he said.