Sydney pool acknowledged at architecture awards

The City of Sydney’s Prince Alfred Park and Pool was one of three City projects to receive top honours at last week's the Australian Institute of Architect’s NSW Architecture Awards.

The outdoor heated 50 metre pool and landscaped park won NSW’s oldest and most prestigious public architecture prize, the Sir John Sulman Medal. Judges hailed the $20.5 million project as a modern blending of “art and landscape, urban design and architecture”.

The project also won the Lloyd Rees Award for Urban Design and was joint-winner of the City of Sydney Lord Mayor’s Prize, now in its second year.

The City’s Eternity Playhouse collected the Greenway Award for Heritage and the Dr HJ Foley Rest Park Toilets won the Robert Woodward Award for ‘Small Project Architecture’.

Lord Mayor Clover Moore said the 7.5-hectare park and pool in Surry Hills, designed by Neeson Murcutt Architects with Sue Barnsley Design, showed the City of Sydney’s commitment to design excellence and environmental sustainability was getting great results for the community.

Lord Mayor Moore stated “design excellence is a top priority for the City of Sydney and I am thrilled so many City projects, all completed with local Sydney architecture firms, have been recognised.

“Everyone who worked on these significant public infrastructure projects should be very proud to have been singled out for praise against such strong competition. This proves that when it comes to good urban design and innovative architecture, the City continues to set new benchmarks.

“The City has championed internationally-recognised design excellence in Sydney and these honours from the Australian Institute of Architects are a great endorsement of our approach.”

The transformation of Prince Alfred Park and Pool was completed in May 2013 and includes a fully-accessible outdoor heated swimming pool for year-round use, new tennis and basketball courts, kids play areas, meadows, walking and cycling paths and landscaping.

A state-of-the-art underground stormwater reuse system collects run-off from surrounding streets to supply 95% of the park’s water, while a native grass green roof regulates the pool complex temperature.

The Eternity Playhouse, conceived with Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, involved restoring the former Burton Street Tabernacle and transforming it into a modern 200-seat theatre and creative arts centre.

It has breathed new life back into the 132-year-old heritage-listed building and created a community and cultural hub in the heart of Darlinghurst. The playhouse forms part of the City’s plan to develop the Oxford Street cultural quarter to support artists and designers.

The toilets in Dr H J Foley Park were designed with architecture and interiors firm, Stanic Harding. The new amenity block in Glebe is fully accessible and features an ironbark screen, while inside the building ‘floats’ above the ground, aiding ventilation.

The Australian Institute of Architects represents more than 12,000 members across Australia and overseas. This year’s awards were chosen by an independent jury of distinguished architecture, design and planning experts and were announced at the heritage-listed Doltone House venue at Jones Bay Wharf, Pyrmont.

Over the past 10 years City of Sydney projects have won more than 40 national and international design awards.

Click here to visit the Prince Alfred Park and Pool website.

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