SJB and Land and Form Studios have won a design competition for 25-27 Leeds Street, in Rhodes East, part of an area on the Parramatta River waterfront set for rejuvenation.
The project will focus on a connection to the river, with low- to mid-rise buildings to engage with the foreshore park, along with waterfront promenades and green pedestrian links.
SJB and Land and Form’s design was chosen from a line-up of three designs in a competition held by representatives from the City of Canada Bay Council, the NSW government architect and Nation Architects. The winning design features a “biophilic and permeable precinct” that expands on the long-term regeneration of the greater Rhodes area.
“We’re breathing new life into the Parramatta River foreshore to make it greener, more accessible and more attractive,” said John Kinsella, managing director of developer Billbergia. “The project will deliver 6,000 square metres of public open space, including a retail and dining precinct and will open up the waterfront promenade with an interactive river edge for the community to enjoy.”
The SJB and Land and Form-designed precinct will mark the first stage in the Rhodes East masterplan.
Image: Courtesy of Billbergia
SJB said it has a “long-running connection” with the Rhodes area, completing the first masterplan for its regeneration in 2005. The practice has delivered many mixed-use buildings for Rhodes, most recently, Rhodes Central, which forms the retail centre of the suburb and was the first of three stages in the NSW government’s transformation of Rhodes from an industrial peninsula to a fully regenerated suburb.
The proposal for Leeds Street will embraces the geography of the Paramatta River in the public domain. “The foreshore design represents this transition from natural to urban, creating an iconic destination that looks to restore and enhance important ecological assets and allow people to actively engage with the Parramatta River, setting a high-quality precedent for the Rhodes East Precinct,” said Land and Form director Ro Iyer.
Buildings will be oriented for solar optimisation, with internal-facing courtyard apartments receiving glimpses of the riverfront.
Leeds Street is the first stage in the developer’s Rhodes East masterplan for a low-rise, high-density development that builds on the existing fabric of the region.
