Prominent architect Dale Jones-Evans, director of Sydney practice Dale Jones-Evans Architecture, has collaborated with Axolotl Art Projects to create an immersive art installation in the iconic Paddington Reservoir Gardens.

The reservoir lights up at night as the installation uses audiovisual elements to immerse viewers in the brick-lined space. There are pools of blue light, a swimmer doing continuous laps and sound effects that bring the space to life in the dark.

The reservoir’s history and use over time are referenced in the piece, as it was built in the late 1880s to provide water for the city.

“It’s an unusual public space for Australia, a kind of catacomb of utility – a once water vessel. I thought the site had poetic resonance and delight,” said Dale Jones-Evans.

“The piece is archeologically embedded – that’s the architect in me. It’s an evocation of historic memory in a populist way – and that’s the artist in me.”

The installation will run each evening from dusk from Wednesday 29 April until 24 May, and is part of the Art & About Sydney art festival.