THERE was a time where it took a brave soul to wander through Civic’s Odgers Lane at night.

But venture down the Melbourne Building laneway now and you’ll come across crowds of people gathered at new pasta cafe Loading Zone or kicking back with a cocktail at Japanese eatery Soju Girl.

There’s also a new, colourful look, thanks to local artist Susanne Ilschner.

Susanne designed and painted three murals on ActewAGL’s historic substation in the centre of the lane late last year, as part of a community engagement project by Belconnen Community Service (BCS), supported by the ACT Government Health Directorate.

The project’s aim was to enliven the space and promote key health messages: connect, be curious, give, eat smart and be active.

Susanne, a graduate of the ANU School of Art, based the mural designs on ideas from the community, sought by BCS in 2011-2012.

The result was a “tongue-in-cheek” way of expressing the messages –

each artwork depicts humans, plants and animals in surreal urban landscapes playfully reflecting on the heritage-listed facades of Odgers Lane.

Susanne says the public’s input created an “intimate experience”.

“There’s a lot of representative public buildings in Canberra, but some of them are a bit cold and expensive looking – they’re not something that the public wants to get involved in necessarily,” she says.

“This way people could interact and connect with the art.”

The feedback has been fantastic so far, says Susanne, with many people thanking her for helping to “breathe new life” into the laneway.

“We’ve had so many locals and even a couple of tourists come especially to see it – someone gave me a hug and said they loved it,” she says.

Susanne, who was born in Germany and originally worked as a clinician, moved to Canberra in 1985 and says she’s seen a remarkable change since then.

“I never thought I’d be painting on big walls when I first came here, it’s come a long way,” she says.

She hopes buildings across Canberra will embrace more artwork in laneways, to bring a feel similar to that of Melbourne’s Little Collins Street.

“It brightens up the place, now there’s music, there’s people, it’s a great thing,” she says.