Melbourne is the second-largest Australian city and is located in the southern part of the island continent. The design and architecture of the city are characterised by an extensive juxtaposition of the old and new architecture. Significantly, the development of the Melbourne architectural style is rooted from the 1890s and developed its skyline in parallel with the American cities of Chicago and New York. The geology of the city is mixed between hard base rock, suitable for high-rise building and low-lying swampland. Since 1990, Melbourne has seen a significant regeneration of its cultural venues which has redefined the nature of design and cultural arts in the city. Melbourne uses the interior to thread a modern style through the urban landscape. A feature of this southern city is the scale of civic and cultural buildings and interiors. Melbourne contributes to the global interior by recognising the power of the interior to communicate and inform.