Landscape

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Three new landscape proposals for Sydney have triggered debates about how people appreciate and use parks in cities. We consider the designs and politics of schemes for Belmore and Cook and Phillip Parks, and the Conservatorium.

How should Sydney’s parks greet the next century? Before the 1970s, they were often embellished with then-popular public facilities like art galleries, cenotaphs, bowling clubs and swimming pools. Now there is opposition to new buildings said to ‘alienate’ publicly owned green spaces. That concern underlies current controversies about three schemes for parks on the perimeter of Sydney’s business district:


Above Concept model by the government Architect’s Branch of additions to the Conservatorium of Music.

Debate 1: Conservatorium
The Conservatorium of Music is extending its occupancy of Francis Greenway’s Governor’s Stables on the Macquarie Street (west) edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens. The National Trust and Friends of the Gardens attacked the ‘over-development’ before a DA was granted in December. Calls to move out the Conservatorium did not gain support with music groups wanting to keep students in touch with international performers appearing at the Opera House. However, lobbyists did force substantial trimming and revisions of the initial envelope concept from the Government Architect’s Branch. New works at the back of the Greenway building

will be largely buried below grass roofs and concealed from the gardens by existing trees. Earlier additions to the stables will be demolished. On Macquarie Street, a new shoebox building was reduced in height, to diminish its dominance of the stables facade and preserve views from apartments in the nearby Astor building (some owned by talkback host John Laws). There was much discussion about how a large glazed canopy would relate to the south side of the stables. At press time, four teams of architects were being interviewed to document the scheme.would relate to the south side of the stables. At press time, four teams of architects were being interviewed to document the scheme.

Debate 2: Cook and Phillip Parks
East of Hyde Park, the City of Sydney has begun merging and developing two road-divided triangles known as Cook and Phillip Parks—bulldozing despite bitter opposition from Sydney Morning Herald columnist Leo Schofield and prominent architects (some personally concerned about views from an apartment tower overlooking the site). They object to the council’s decision to tuck a swimming centre along the College Street ridge between St Mary’s cathedral and the Australian Museum (replacing an obsolete bowling club). The pool complex, designed by Lawrence Nield & Partners with landscape architects Spackman Mossop, will have its roof landscaped as a palm-lined boulevard and plaza, including a long reflection pool at

the museum end and a café pavilion facing College Street. The east facade will be glass-louvred to allow ventilation and expansive views downhill to Wooloomooloo Bay. The landscape plan has two strong diagonal axes—landscaped ramps—acknowledging desire lines towards the Domain carpark (north-east) and the Stanley Street cafés and William Street offices (south-east).

Debate 3: Belmore Park
Debate on a revamp of Belmore Park, next to Central Station at Haymarket, is occurring within the City of Sydney council rather than in public. Melbourne architects Ashton Raggatt McDougall and Sydney landscape guru Tom Sitta have prepared a concept based on ARM’s familiar wandering yellow ribbon—a canopy looping through the site at heights from three to 20 metres. This relates to a coiling footpath which cuts the park into various curved plots that could be paved and planted as gardens representing different neighbourhood migrant cultures. Small trees along a light rail ramp to the east would be removed to encourage passengers to disembark from a new stop. A café is proposed for Eddy Avenue. Nineteenth century plane trees would be retained, and scattered palms gathered as a grove. The design generated little public comment during the DA period. However, the city hasn’t allocated funds because councillors haven’t agreed to support a design which lays down a funky, capricious pulse that is not familiar to the DJs of Sydney’s development —Davina Jackson.

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Published online: 1 Jan 1998

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Architecture Australia, January 1998

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