The City of Parramatta has commenced construction on its long-planned $130 million civic building at Parramatta Square.
Australian company Built will construct the six-storey building after being selected by council in February to deliver the project following a 12-month process.
Built is also constructing Walker Corporation’s 6 and 8 Parramatta Square, set to be the largest commercial building in Australia comprising 125,000 square metres, and has recently completed 3 and 4 Parramatta Square.
The building was designed by architecture firms DesignInc, Lacoste Stevenson and French firm Manuelle Gautrand. The three firms won the design competition for the Parramatta Square building in March 2016.
“Councillors first committed to the vision of a new civic building within a world-class commercial and cultural precinct in 1996 and we are incredibly proud to see their ambitious plan taking shape,” Parramatta lord mayor Bob Dwyer said.
“Parramatta Square is one of the biggest urban regeneration projects Australia has ever seen and 5 Parramatta Square will be the beating heart of this revitalised CBD precinct.”
The crystalline building will offer 8,000sq m of civic space while also featuring a large multi-coloured digital façade for public art projections.
The city’s historic Town Hall will be seamlessly integrated into the new civic building.
Parramatta Square, a three-hectare mixed-use precinct in the heart of Parramatta CBD, is next to Parramatta train station with a future light rail stop planned on Macquarie Street.
Walker Corporation won a tender for the development of Parramatta Square in 2015.
The new civic building, seen as the final addition to the precinct, will join a number of completed or in-progress projects around the square, including 1 Parramatta Square, a high-rise Western Sydney University campus, the existing Sydney Water Corporate Headquarters, and 3 Parramatta Square, where NAB is establishing its headquarters.
The Parramatta Square development will also becomanme home to 4,200 public servants after Walker Corporation won a Property NSW tender to lease up to 43,800sq m of office space in 2021.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic sparking an economic downturn, construction has been business as usual at Parramatta Square.
Built national director Steve Boss said the firm was excited to be delivering not just a striking, place-making design but also a sustainably-focused building.
“We will be creating more local jobs and training opportunities through a range of new apprenticeships and cadetships,” Boss said.
The sustainably-focused cultural centre will target a 5-Star Green Star Design rating with features such as high thermal performance, energy-generating solar panels, and water harvesting and re-use systems planned.
The building is expected to open in April 2022 in line with the remaining Parramatta Square precinct.
