bC Bradfield Central Park
| PROJECT DATA |
|---|
| TYPE |
PUBLIC SPACE |
|---|---|
| LOCATION | BRADFIELD WESTERN SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA |
| CLIENT | WESTERN PARKLAND CITY AUTHORITY |
| DATE | 2023 |
| TEAM | DAVE PIGRAM IAIN MAXWELL |
| COLLABORATORS | ARCADIA LANDSCAPE BANGAWARRA HOYNE |
| RENDERS | DOUG & WOLF |
| AWARDS | 1 OF 5 SHORTLISTED INTO STAGE TWO DESIGN COMPETITION |
Bradfield Central Park
Western Sydney, Australia
bC
A first-nations-led reimagining of Australian public space tailored to a warming Western Sydney climate.
The creation of Bradfield, a new city in Sydney’s Western Parklands, with a park at its centre provided the opportunity to envisage what an 21st Century Australian public landscape should be. Primary to our response was the necessity to embed the millenia of unbroken ancestral knowledge and culture of how to relate to and care for Country. This process was led by . Starting from Aboriginal knowledge and respect for Country reinforced the specificity of climate, of natural cycles and of a deep and holistic sustainability — all things a wise 21st century society must embrace.
The architecture of Bradfield Central Park is country-led, inseparable from its landscape, and has design and construction innovation at its core. With the clear aim to reveal and amplify the specifics of country, three unique spatial, material and experiential identities were established corresponding to three vertical strata: Undergound County, Ground Coutry and Sky Country.
Our scheme was designed in close collaboration with Arcadia [Landscape Architecture], Bangawarra [Connecting with Country Spatial Design] consulatants and Hoyne [Place Visioning].
The architecture of Bradfield Central Park is country-led, inseparable from its landscape, and has design and construction innovation at its core. With the clear aim to reveal and amplify the specifics of country, three unique spatial, material and experiential identities were established corresponding to three vertical strata: Undergound County, Ground Coutry and Sky Country.
Our scheme was designed in close collaboration with Arcadia [Landscape Architecture], Bangawarra [Connecting with Country Spatial Design] consulatants and Hoyne [Place Visioning].
Underground Country
A system of earth-cast shells is used to form signature public spaces, bike-shelters and retaining walls each supporting an elevated landscape above. These structures use on-site soil as the basis for a cable-robot formed, circular, ner-zero-waste, and ultra-low-embodied energy construction system.
Beyond the technical, this system allows for the shifting diamond geometries and signature knots of hand-made dilly-bags to be embossed on the earthen surface. Dilly-bags, and these key spaces, are dedicated to gathering.
A system of earth-cast shells is used to form signature public spaces, bike-shelters and retaining walls each supporting an elevated landscape above. These structures use on-site soil as the basis for a cable-robot formed, circular, ner-zero-waste, and ultra-low-embodied energy construction system.
Beyond the technical, this system allows for the shifting diamond geometries and signature knots of hand-made dilly-bags to be embossed on the earthen surface. Dilly-bags, and these key spaces, are dedicated to gathering.
Ground Country
A meandering system of elevated walkways connects shade structures, amphitheatres and lookouts that support exploration and discovery of the Cumberland Woodland’s midstorey and the grassland below. Elements to the west are serpentine while those to the east extend the language of the dilly-bag’s diamond weave through engineered timber.
A meandering system of elevated walkways connects shade structures, amphitheatres and lookouts that support exploration and discovery of the Cumberland Woodland’s midstorey and the grassland below. Elements to the west are serpentine while those to the east extend the language of the dilly-bag’s diamond weave through engineered timber.
Sky Country
Hovering above and providing shade and shelter to the central gathering space is the Goolamon Canopy.
Goolamons are multipurpose vessels made from the outer bark of a tree and are one of the few artefacts important to all indigenous nations across Australia.
Envisaged as a collaboration with a local aboriginal artists and makers the Sacred Ceremonial Ground is sheltered by 2000 unique goolamon-inspired elements suspended by a delicate net structure. These artist-made elements are interspersed by genuine timber goolamons each donated by invited indigenous guests. In this way we aim to eventually represent all 500 or so of Australia’s indigenous nations.
.
Hovering above and providing shade and shelter to the central gathering space is the Goolamon Canopy.
Goolamons are multipurpose vessels made from the outer bark of a tree and are one of the few artefacts important to all indigenous nations across Australia.
Envisaged as a collaboration with a local aboriginal artists and makers the Sacred Ceremonial Ground is sheltered by 2000 unique goolamon-inspired elements suspended by a delicate net structure. These artist-made elements are interspersed by genuine timber goolamons each donated by invited indigenous guests. In this way we aim to eventually represent all 500 or so of Australia’s indigenous nations.
.
Cumberland Grassland
A large open field supports a diverse range of uses from large gathering events to small picnics and people watching.
A large open field supports a diverse range of uses from large gathering events to small picnics and people watching.
Cumberland Forrest
The Cumberland Forrest section of the park reintrintroduces the plant species that were present in this location before agricultural usage. The landscape contains gathering spaces of diverse size and character. Multiple path types support exploration and discovery. An elevated walkway with shaded and terraced portions further extends the range of available experiences and ways of engaging with the emerging ecological system.
The Cumberland Forrest section of the park reintrintroduces the plant species that were present in this location before agricultural usage. The landscape contains gathering spaces of diverse size and character. Multiple path types support exploration and discovery. An elevated walkway with shaded and terraced portions further extends the range of available experiences and ways of engaging with the emerging ecological system.
Over 70% Tree Canopy Cover
The impacts of a warming climate will be felt most strongly in already warm inland locations such as Western-Sydney. Incoprporating over 70% tree canopy cover provides shade and evapotranspiration to proivide residents with a cool place to seek respite during the increasing number of very hot days.
The impacts of a warming climate will be felt most strongly in already warm inland locations such as Western-Sydney. Incoprporating over 70% tree canopy cover provides shade and evapotranspiration to proivide residents with a cool place to seek respite during the increasing number of very hot days.
Earth-Cast Vaults
A network of vaulted spaces and overhangs constructed from earth-cast concrete embeds the unique colours and character of Cumberland Plain soil while providing additional shade and shelter.
A network of vaulted spaces and overhangs constructed from earth-cast concrete embeds the unique colours and character of Cumberland Plain soil while providing additional shade and shelter.
Eora / Sydney —
Gadi Country
1503D/780 Bourke St, Redfern, NSW, 2016
sydney@supermanoeuvre.com
Gadi Country
1503D/780 Bourke St, Redfern, NSW, 2016
sydney@supermanoeuvre.com
Ngambri / Canberra —
Ngunnawal Country
canberra@supermanoeuvre.com
Ngunnawal Country
canberra@supermanoeuvre.com
