Sydney Metro West has released concept plans for a Parramatta metro over-station development for a new mixed-use precinct with “retail, entertainment and opportunities for creative and innovation jobs,” according to the vision statement.
The inner-city block consolidates multiple individual sites fronting Macquarie, George, Church and Smith streets and will accommodate the future Parramatta metro station – a proposed station on the Sydney Metro West that will service the second-largest CBD in Sydney.
Bates Smart is responsible for the integrated urban design and architecture for the new precinct, collaborating with Grimshaw Architects, leading the station design, and Arcadia, responsible for the public domain and landscape.
Four towers – three commercial and one residential – will form the bones of the new precinct. Ranging from 24 to 38 storeys, they will be fully integrated with the new below-ground station. The precinct will include a new activated public domain, including a plaza and pedestrian laneways.
A render of the proposed metro over-station development (indicative only).
Image:
Bates Smart
Bates Smart said eight key principles guide the design approach for the new precinct: an enhanced civic link; active and engaging frontages; a dignified heritage setting; prominent and public station entries; a legible and safe movement network; relevant and attractive building typologies; comfortable and attractive public space; and a “uniquely Parramatta” character.
Brick will be incorporated in the lower levels of the buildings and the laneways, responding to the local heritage of the site. The upper levels of the towers will be clad in materials “inspired by Country,” including sandstone, and exhibit a soft and natural palette of earthen tones.
The New South Wales minister for transport, David Elliott, said the precinct would support employment growth and future housing demand in the city’s fast-growing west. He said the four new buildings will “allow for retail at ground level and opportunities for commercial and residential spaces above” and “seamlessly connect to wider Sydney with turn-up-and-go metro services on their doorstep and easy access to new light rail, Sydney Trains, buses and active transport links.”
The community is encouraged to have its say on plans for the Parrammatta metro station precinct as outlined in the first concept planning application. Community feedback is open on the NSW Planning Portal from 16 November to 13 December.
Source: Architecture - architectureau
