Chrofi and Tyrrell Studio have designed an urban park and cultural centre for Burwood, in Sydney’s inner west.
The project, to be located on the site of the existing Burwood Library carpark, also aims to bring open space and tree canopy to the suburb’s town centre, as well as deliver a new arts and cultural centre that includes a new café, a community lounge, studio spaces, multipurpose halls, a 200-seat theatre, and other public amenities.
Chrofi and Tyrrell Studio were appointed the design team following a competition held by the local council in 2020.
Chrofi initially designed a city-wide masterplan for Burwood in 2019 after it was comissioned by council to respond to the city centre’s rapid transition from a low-scale suburban centre to a high-rise strategic centre.
Rendered concept imagery for the Burwood Urban Park and Cultural Centre.
Image: Chrofi with Tyrrell Studio
In response to Burwood’s inadequate public domain, prevalence of overshadowing and poor scale transitions, Chrofi identified the site as an ideal park location that could increase amenity in the city due to its “sunny location and proximity to existing civic and heritage asset,” the architect said.
“Burwood is a rapidly densifying centre with limited opportunities for new public space, so any development of public land needs to work hard to satisfy the diverse needs of the growing population,” said Chrofi director Tai Ropiha.
The cultural centre has been designed as a wedge-shaped form that appears to emerge out of the ground with an open space on top. “The idea to have a community building under the open space maximises the potential of the site to respond to community needs,” the architects said.
According to the concept designs, the geometry of the park has been conceived to articulate three landscaped spaces that enable pedestrian connections between surrounding destinations, like the Burwood train station, the public library, and the Hornsey Street precinct.
The design team proposes to engage with the history of Burwood’s heritage buildings by taking inspiration from the terracotta of the federation homes and the fine-grain brickwork of Burwood Public School. Engaging with these existing material conditions, the proposal uses terracotta screens, recycled brick pavements and cladding to create a sense of place and continuity.
