Developer Billbergia has appointed Studio Libeskind, in collaboration with Fitzpatrick and Partners and Bob Nation, to masterplan the redevelopment of a 3.5-hectare precinct in Sydney’s Rhodes.
The site, located adjacent to Rhodes station, is currently home to the Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE). In June 2018, HPE announced it would partner with Billbergia in joint venture to rezone and redevelop the site that is currently zoned business park only.
The design team will be asked to create an integrated precinct for offices, residences, recreational spaces as well as aged living and aged care facilities.
“Some of the best mixed-use work/live/play precincts of the world are fully integrated into city centres, and the aspiration is to bring these key elements, along with significant enhancements to transport, to the HPE site as part of the transformation process,” said Rick Graf, Billbergia chief executive.
“As the workplace environment is dynamically changing, the vision is not about creating homogenous business park buildings and separate accommodation areas, but rather to shape and create a highly desirable urban environment. With a strong emphasis on transport, place making aspects, connectivity to the bay and quality open spaces, this precinct is being designed with all users in mind.”
HPE would retain a presence on the site. The project is reportedly worth $1 billion or more when fully developed, according to the Australian Financial Review.
The developer has a number of completed and under construction projects in the Rhodes and Wentworth Point area, including a library and community centre, a retail centre, a pedestrian-, bike- and bus-only bridge that connects Wentworth Point and Rhodes, all of which are designed by Scott Carver Architects.
In 2017, it announced an invited design competition for a three-hectare site in Wentworth Point designated for up to 1,000 homes. The participating practices are: 3XN, Bates Smart, DKO, Durbach Block Jaggers, FJMT and Scott Carver Architects/ARM Architecture.
Studio Libeskind, headed by Daniel Libeskind, has designed a number of the world’s most recognizable architectural landmarks, including the Jewish Museum in Berlin and Bundeswehr Military History Museum in Dresden.
Libeskind presented the keynote lecture as part of the University of Sydney’s School of Architecture’s centennial celebrations.
Read William Feuerman’s interview with Libeskind for ArchitectureAU here.
