The Railway Roundabout. Hobart, Tasmania.

According to the UK’s Roundabout Appreciation Society, the Railway Roundabout in Hobart, Tasmania is one of the best in the world. This accolade is partly due to the City of Hobart’s 2012 renovation of its central space, where the original hydraulic system and lighting were an improvement upon the 1960s design.

It features well-manicured lawns bedecked with an UFO-like shallow basin, whose tapering fountain is reminiscent of an antennae signaling to distant galaxies. This extraterrestrial theme is further explored at night, when yellow, red, green, and blue beams launch from the fountain to dazzle motorists and pedestrians.

Its futuristic construction also includes the niceties of hospitality, where the fountain’s automatic adjustment stops passersby from being soaked in windy weather. The tiered lawns that accommodate Hobart’s citizens also appear as a throwback to the crop-circles of conspiracy theories, and are tantalising details that make the roundabout out of this world.

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