Redevelopment of Sydney Central Station could strengthen parkland
Cities and Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes said he welcomes bold and innovative proposals for the borough but warned that building over a historic public space is not the answer.
“Prince Alfred Park is a popular public parkland that has played an important role in our city’s history, including the jubilant celebrations that followed the referendum on same-sex marriage,” he said.
Prince Alfred Park borders the train lines at Central Station. Credit:Nick Moir
Stokes said Bates Smart’s proposal to build all train lines south of Central, rather than just the government’s proposed regional and intercity lines, also poses major challenges for the network, leading to significant disruption for the millions of people who would travel through Central every week.
Vivian, who has worked with the City of Sydney on Cahill Expressway conversion plans, acknowledged that any proposal to build on Prince Alfred Park would be controversial, but said the plans maintain an avenue of fig trees and historic buildings and at the same time the parkland would double in the area.
He said his firm’s proposal for Central would avoid the high cost of additional structures needed to support the enormous weight of the towers on the land deck above the railway lines.
Vivian said the government’s plan was flawed because it didn’t connect Surry Hills to Chippendale and “creates a sort of rail channel that you let people walk across”.
A pedestrian on the Rainbow Walk in Prince Alfred Park on Monday.Credit: Nick Moir
One of Australia’s oldest architectural firms, Bates Smart designed the new Australian Embassy in Washington and the ACT Government Offices in Constitution Place, Canberra. It is also working on Sydney Metro development in North Sydney, CBD, Waterloo and Parramatta.
Vivian suggested holding an international competition to design the landscape park to be built over the railway line in Central.
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The Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney, Clover Moore, declined to comment on Bates Smart’s proposal until the council had a chance to consider it.
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https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-radical-new-plan-to-reshape-sydney-s-central-station-precinct-20221208-p5c4rj.html?ref=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_source=rss_national_nsw Redevelopment of Sydney Central Station could strengthen parkland
