BARANGAROO HARBOUR PARK DESIGN COMPETITION
Central Harbour Park: Site Organization
Honoring First Nation and the Gadigal people
PUBLIC aRT
We honor First Nation and the Gadigal people and their history in a number of ways:
First, through a large program of important public art distributed throughout and meaningfully-integrated with the park.
PUBLIC Native GARDEN
The Public Native Gardens are defined by a continuous stone edge that provides places for signage, information, and gathering.
To the east along Barangaroo Avenue, a naturalistic composition of sandstone blocks symbolizes the historic shoreline.
The Public Native Gardens are to be comprised of plant species native to Sydney Harbour, reflecting cultural uses by the Gadigal People and connecting Barangaroo Central with Barangaroo Reserve.
Seasonal Garden Interpretation is provided within the public native garden using a system of medallions with QR Codes that connect to smart phones with ‘Augmented Reality’ (pictured right).
A network of flexible lawns at several sizes recalls the public success of the lawns at the Reserve. The western edge of the Events Plaza is shown above and steps down to a lower elevation to preserve views from Barangaroo Avenue out to the Harbour.
Utilization of native plants from the Reserve are proposed to be integrated into a linear public garden that would contain both the botanic information of the plants along with the names, meanings, and uses by the historic Gadigal people, utilizing information systems like ‘augmented reality’ with QR codes throughout the gardens.
Midden Mound
Sloped lawn areas provide elevated views out to the Events Plaza and Harbour from the Midden Mound. Smaller, lower hills that surround the Events Plaza can accommodate groups of up to 100 people for celebrations, lectures, large family gatherings, birthdays, and First Nations interpretive tours.
The Midden Mound is situated at the north of the Park to create optimal elevated views out to the harbour, Reserve, and the Central Plaza. The landform for the Midden Mound echoes that of the naturalistic headland at the Reserve.
The Midden Mound is proposed to include a series of special community meeting places and facilities for Gadigal celebrations and educational gatherings. Dramatic views are provided from Baranagroo Lookout at the top of the landform, which features a water oculus connecting visitors between an art piece above and a community space below.
The Midden Path invites visitors to stroll up to Barangaroo Lookout for dynamic harbour views. A great sloped lawn provides a flexible passive space adds to event plaza seating for picnics and lounging, similar to the north slope of the Reserve.
The Events Plaza is sized to accommodate 6,000+ people. The plaza paving is a mosaic art piece honoring and representing historic Gadigal movement patterns.
The Digital Wind Screen Entry Gate can also be setup as a venue day or night to showcase film, ted talks, art, and history of the Gadiagal People.
The Disappearing Fountain is composed of a spiral of jets that animate the Events Plaza and provides opportunity for children’s play. The fountain may be easily turned ‘off’ and quickly drained to maximize usable space in the plaza for large performances. The mosaic paved art piece is also visible.
EVENTS PLAZA
Following years of urban design study, The Central Plaza is carefully located within the park to align with the earlier proposed east-west connection of the ‘Sydney Steps.’ The sunken plaza provides unobstructed views from Barangaroo Avenue and its proposed commercial development across to Wulugal Walk and the Harbour beyond.
As seen to the north of the Midden Mound, a cafe animates Wulugul Walk and marks entry to the cultural spaces and underground park facilities inside the landform.
The flexible Events Plaza can accommodate a range of different programmatic events, such as dancing celebrations.
View from the Commercial Pavilion and restaurant, overlooking the Events Plaza and the Digital Wind Screen Entry Gate during ‘movie night.
A view from the eastern edge of the EventsPlaza looking west out to the harbour, with the Disappearing Fountain beyond.
The plaza includes a raised timber stage, ideal for large music concerts, theater, celebration, and other performance.
ENGAGING WATER
The naturalistic stone Children’s Fountain includes a rushing water cascade and shallow pool for play. The waterpool receeds back into the stone, like surf at the seashore. Stone seating provides places for adults to comfortably observe the space while also having views out to Nawi Cove.
