BVN has won a design excellence competition for the design of a “revolutionary” new primary school and multipurpose community space in Sydney’s Green Square.
The school and integrated community spaces, which can be occupied both day and night, will be built on the site of the former South Sydney Hospital site on Joynton Avenue.
The site is also home to a number of urban renewal projects, including the Joynton Avenue Creative Precinct by Peter Stutchbury Architecture and the Waranara Early Learning Centre by Fox Johnston.
“Green Square’s landmark heritage brick buildings have already been thoughtfully reimagined through adaptive reuse. As the final element to be delivered within the precinct, we felt that it was significant that the new school clearly be a part of the area,” said Ali Bounds, principal at BVN.
The layout of the design fosters connection with the broader community, surrounding parks and community facilities, including the Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre across the road by Andrew Burges Architects, Grimshaw and TCL as well as the nearby Green Square Library and Plaza by Studio Hollenstein in association with Stewart Architecture.
The proposed Green Square Primary School and integrated community space by BVN.
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Courtesy City of Sydney
A new educational model also sets a framework for flexible learning spaces based around community hubs.
“The model encourages student and teacher interaction and provides well-connected teaching and learning spaces,” Bounds said.
Fellow BVN principal Matthew Blair added, “This project provides a rare opportunity to create a modern, neighbourhood-scaled school that contributes to a shared public domain.
“We believe buildings that are participative, that involve an engagement with users and that can be reactive to varying conditions will bring educational benefits.
The design excellence competition was judged by a panel of experts drawn from education, architecture and urban design fields.
“This revolutionary school design will provide much-needed community facilities that will be activated day and night for the whole community to use. It is an important addition to the area’s educational, social and cultural life,” said Sydney lord mayor Clover Moore.
“By 2030, over 60,000 people will call Green Square home. The school will serve as a lynchpin that connects our award-winning library and civic plaza, 40 new parks and the Gunyama Park Aquatic and Recreation Centre, which opened earlier this year.”
The integrated school and community space will be jointly funded by the City of Sydney and the NSW Department of Education.
“Schools are the hearts of our communities and the winning design from BVN captured this and created a fantastic place for children to learn,” said minister for education Sarah Mitchell.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
