McGregor Coxall and architecture practice Chrofi have won a competition for the design of a “village green” and community centre at Midtown MacPark, a masterplanned community planned for Macquarie Park on Sydney’s north shore.
The $2.1 billion masterplanned mixed tenure community will integrate around 3,300 apartments with community facilities including a proposed school and childcare, aged care, a new central park, pocket parks and playgrounds, a community centre, pool and gym. It will be developed in stages over the next 10 to 12 years.
McGregor Coxall director Philip Coxall said their proposal for the green and community centre aimed to create an “all-inclusive” space with site-wide interconnectivity that encouraged visitors to explore.
“The landscape and architecture amplify the experience of a sunken garden, utilizing level changes throughout the topography to create a destination worthy of exploration,” said Coxall.
“With shared swimming and exercise facilities, outdoor gardens, seating and a playground for children of all ages, the public domain [will provide] a safe place of equal engagement and treatment for individuals from all walks of life.”
At a lower level to the community building, the green will provide direct access to the area’s main street and provide park views to surrounding residential apartments. It will be integrated with a 25-metre swimming pool and a 434-square-metre gymnasium, creating a “seamless connection” between interior and exterior spaces. The design will include a “mixed-use” space with a community centre, café and multipurpose rooms connected by a veranda to foster direct engagement with the park.
Developer Frasers Property Australia is working with the New South Wales government to deliver the vision for the new urban neighbourhood, with the aim of obtaining a 6 Star Green Star Communities rating for the development and for the community to be carbon neutral in operation.
