Gorgeous links + Lacoste + Stevenson

Proposition 2065, Competition, May 2010

a new green axis:

Sydney is unique for its natural setting. Foreshore walks and natural gullies are numerous. The existing walk in Middle Harbour from Tunks Park through Munro Park, Hallstrom Park and Talus Reserve is continued all the way to St Leonard’s Station. The track/cycleway crosses the site lengthwise with the 10m change of level between Chandos Street and the start of Talus Reserve mitigated by a continuous, even grade.

This new built “gully” follows the original low point in the landfrom. Offices and some retail open on it and form new facades on both sides of the built “gully” ensuring a vibrant and lively new pedestrian street and cycleway.

new linkages and fine grain urban fabric:

Currently, the bridge over the railway provides access to the residential blocks only at the north end of the site. This competition offers the opportunity to create a new connection between Chandos, Christie and Herbert Streets. The 8m height difference between Chandos Street and the Herbert Street bridge is mitigated a continuous grade to reduce the impact of the slope.

To achieve the continuous slope, the roof of the commercial development is pushed down towards Chandos St. The roof acts as a local access road, a shared zone between pedestrians, cyclists and motorists, giving access to the commercial premises below and affordable residential development above.

The site is divided into 5 blocks providing opportunity to stage the development and make connections to the existing lanes and streets. A human scale environment is partly achieved by the variety of building heights and street connections. A network of pedestrian friendly spaces and active frontages will create safe and accessible city blocks.

mix:

The proposal achieves 3:1 commercial with offices areas ranging from 200 msq to large floor plates of 2000 msq in accordance with WLEP and 3 to 4 storey walk-up affordable housing The housing may in fact have a number of uses; as student accommodation or patient visitor short-stay accommodation to the RNSH.

the strategic contribution to the St Leonard’s area as a whole:

The proposed site is at the centre of many streets and lanes which have level changes of up to 10 metres and do not link up. This proposal reconciles both the level changes and makes all the connections. This contribution to St Leonard’s unlocks a previously isolated piece of the area between the commercial centre and the hospital. The addition of these connections together with the Forum overpass will give better choice to the hospital precinct.