Beare Park Amenities
2008
Elizabeth Bay, NSW
As a part of a landscape regeneration of Beare Park, Elizabeth Bay, Sam Crawford Architects was appointed by the City of Sydney to redesign the existing toilet facilities.
The facilities are set against a rock face on the south-east corner of the park and are viewed from above by residents of neighbouring apartment buildings. The Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, once lived in the neighbourhood and along with local residents, took particular interest in the design brief and outcome.
The critical elements of the City of Sydney’s original brief were:
- Make the building and facilities accessible and improve public safety,
- Retain as much of the existing brick outer shell as possible so as to minimize demolition and public perception of change,
- Make the building more sympathetic to the landscape by way of a planted roof and green wall, and
- Promote the City of Sydney’s ‘environmentally conscience’ principles.
Sam Crawford Architects was appointed to redesign the existing facility, prepare detailed construction documentation and provide administration services during construction.
Concerned with ongoing maintenance and cost issues of walls clad in greenery, our solution saw the introduction of a steel screen that neatly contained the vertical planting. A new concrete roof was then planted with drought resistant species.
The existing facilities were dark and did not take advantage of stunning harbourside location. One of our key objectives was to maximize natural light into the toilets, including light reflected off the water to the underside of the new off-form concrete roof as well as providing a connection back to the harbour from inside the building, by way of a mirror window.
The result is a robust, light-filled, low maintenance, vandal resistant building, that sits unobtrusively within its landscape setting.
Project Team
Sam Crawford, Amy Leenders, Claire McCaughan
Consultants
Electrical Engineer: Lighting Art & Science
Hydraulic Engineer: ACOR Consultants
Landscape Architect: Jane Irwin Landscape Architects
Structural Engineer: Partridge Partners
Builder: Regal Innovations
Council/ Client: City of Sydney
Photography: Brett Boardman