A design competition has been announced to generate ideas to revitalise the centre of the iconic Sydney seaside suburb of Cronulla.

The ideas generated through the competition will form part of Sutherland Shire’s long term planning process for the future of the suburb, and will help establish a program of capital works and other strategic initiatives.

The central focus of the competition is the famous pedestrian plaza, designed by Philip Cox and completed in 1989.

Key features are its tiled pavement, pavilion, clock tower, kiosks and canopied outdoor eating areas, together with formal plantings of palms and shade trees.

The competition brief explains that the plaza’s success as a public space generally occurs during the day. Hence a major challenge is improving the economy and experience of the plaza at night.

Entries are open across three categories including professional, student and community.

Prizes will be awarded for each category including $10,000 as first prize for the winning professional entry, plus an opportunity to provide consultant services in preparing a strategic plan for the Cronulla Centre. Second prize in the professional category is $5,000.

An independent judging panel comprised of leading Australian practitioners in landscape architecture, urban design and architecture will select the winning entries across the categories. 

The jury includes: Chair – Crosbie Lorimer; Landscape Architect – Professor Helen Armstrong; Urban Designer - Tony Caro; and Architect - Darlene Van Der Breggen.

However, Mayor Steve Simpson described it as not only a fantastic opportunity “for architects, landscape architects and urban planners and urban designers, but also students and residents to get involved in shaping the future of Cronulla. We are very excited about the ideas and discussion that this competition is going to generate.”

The area in question takes in Cronulla Plaza, Peryman Square and surrounding areas of the Cronulla central business district.

Entries will close at 2pm on Wednesday 6 August, with all entries placed on exhibition from 21 August to 10 September.

The winning entries will be announced on Saturday 13 September and will be placed on exhibition for a further two weeks to enable the public to vote for a People’s Choice Award. 

“As well as being a much loved part of the Shire, Cronulla is a vibrant tourism and business centre, so it’s vital that the community is involved in the process right from the beginning,” said Simpson. 

“It will help us build a picture of how people want to use this area and what they want it to become. We’re looking for a range of views to help build the community’s vision of Cronulla,” he said. 

The winning student entry will receive $1,000 plus the offer of a traineeship which involves the student in preparing the strategic plan for the Cronulla Centre. Second prize in the student category is $500. The community entries will also be eligible for rewards including a $1,000 Cronulla Beach CBD gift card for first prize and a $500 CBD gift card for second place.

 

For more information on how to enter and competition conditions, visit the council website here.

Key Facts and Figures

- Entries accepted across 3 categories: professional, student & community
- Prizes awarded for each category
- Entries close 2pm, Wednesday 6 August 2014