In March, the City of Sydney will invite architects to take part in a competition to design a new aquatic centre and park for one of the fastest growing communities in NSW.

Located adjacent to the new Green Square Town Centre, Gunyama Park at Zetland will include an aquatic centre, synthetic multi-purpose playing field, playground and outdoor exercise circuit.

The development was given approval in August last year and touted as a ‘sporting mecca’.

The two-stage design competition will be similar to the one held by the City for the Green Square Library and Plaza, which saw two young Sydney architects selected from 167 entries from around the world.

Design competition judge Glenn Murcutt hailed the innovative design for the plaza integrated with the library as ‘brilliant’.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore says the City is determined to get the best design possible for its new buildings, and open design competitions are a great way to do that.

“When we ran the competition for the Green Square Library and Plaza we were delighted the judges unanimously agreed that two architects still in their 20s, Felicity Stewart and Matt Hollenstein, had come up with the best design,” she says.

“That’s not only a great result for them, but a great result for the City, which is now busy working with Felicity and Matt to transform their creative vision into a library and a plaza that will delight tens of thousands.”

Moore also says the next competition will be a great chance for younger, emerging architects to test their ideas against more established industry figures.“

Architects from around the country should start thinking about ideas for Green Square’s new park and aquatic centre so they will be ready to work on designs when we formally open the competition,” she says.

Architects will be asked to design the 1.6 hectare park which includes the aquatic centre with a 50m pool, 25m pool, hydrotherapy pool and indoor water play area for children.

It will need to meet the growing demand from the local community, which is the fastest growing part of the City of Sydney. At just four kilometeres south of the city centre, the greater Green Square area is estimated to be home to more than 40,000 residents and 22,000 workers by 2030.

To be located on Joynton Ave, the aquatic centre will be opposite the former South Sydney Hospital, which is to be transformed into a creative community hub with facilities including artists’ studios, a community hall, childcare and healthcare facilities, affordable housing and a park.

Indicative site layout and built form - proposed site layout of the aquatic centre and Gunyama Park site looking west. Image: City of Sydney.

In the first stage of the competition, a panel of designers, architects, landscape architects and aquatic experts will assess all entries and provide a shortlist of the best designs.

In the second stage, selected architects will be given eight weeks to prepare detailed submissions, of which a cost planner will assess all short-listed entries.

Stage one entries will be on public display, with the community and interest groups invited to comment which will be put to the jury for consideration.

The winning design will be announced late this year, with work on the facility to begin soon after.

Details about registering for the competition will be available on the City of Sydney website in February.

Moore says the new aquatic centre will be a boon for the growing community, providing recreation and sporting facilities for people of all ages.

“We are providing the facilities needed to ensure Green Square is a community where people can work, enjoy recreation and raise their families,” she says.

Lisa Rapley

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