CHROFI, architectural practice based in Sydney, Australia

The Goods Line

Client:
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority

Program:
Public Domain, Flexible Event Pavilion, Amenities

Scale:
5,630 sqm

Year:
2011 - 2015

Credit:
CHROFI with ASPECT Studios

Photography:
Florian Groehn

Team:
Acor, AR-MA, Cundall, Deuce Design, Earthscape, Godden Mackay Logan, GTA Consultants, JBA Planning, Lighting Art + Science, Morris Goding

Location:
Ultimo, NSW

Visualisation:
Doug & Wolf, CHROFI

Status:
Complete

CHROFI collaborated with ASPECT Studios on the design of The Goods Line for Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority. The Goods Line is a linear spine that connects several diverse city neighbourhoods, from Central to Surry Hills, to the harbour via the Darling Harbour Precinct. The spine stitches together a unique concentration of cultural, media and educational institutions forming a civic space rich with latent potential.

Beyond its connectivity function, The Goods Line responds to a shared desire to connect and collaborate that exists amongst the stakeholders - Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, University of Technology, Sydney, Powerhouse Museum, The ABC, TAFE - Sydney Institute, and City of Sydney. The Goods Line is conceived as a public platform for interaction, co-curation of events and exhibitions.

The revitalisation is expressed via a singular move. The laying of a new datum, a precast concrete ‘figure’, onto the existing railway corridor, articulating the site’s history and concurrently telling the story of today. These precast concrete panels form the paving, edges, steps, benches and seating as an integrated prefabricated piece. They are a re-tooling of an industrial element to a social purpose using digital fabrication process.

Scattered along this 'figure' are a variety of opportunities for play, socialisation and respite ranging from water play elements, fitness stations, an oversized communal table, generous terraced seating and cantilevered pods that offer a nestled escape within the canopies of the moreton bay fig trees. Collectively these diverse moments create a civic space that encourages occupation by different user groups within one of Sydney's most densely populated precincts.

The 'ground' revealed by the absence of the 'figure' creates opportunities for robust planting, pocket gardens and lawns amongst the meandering railway tracks, further softened by the presence of the line of established fig trees that provide a visual barrier to Darling Drive.

A corridor once energised by the movement of industrial goods will be re-energised with people and the exchange of ideas, marking the transformation from industrial infrastructure to social infrastructure.

Press

Sydney Morning Herald, November 14, 2012

DHub, Powehouse Museum

Awards

2016 NSW Awards for Planning Excellence – From Plan to Place

2016 NSW Awards for Planning Excellence – Great Place

2016 AILA National Awards – Civic Landscape

2016 Australian Urban Design Awards; Delivered Outcome – Small Scale

2016 AILA NSW Awards – Civic Landscape Award of Excellence

2016 202020 Vision Green Design Award

2016 AZ Awards – Award of Merit for Best Landscape Architecture

2016 22nd Annual Heritage Awards; Highly Commended – Conservation Landscape

2015 6th ‘Yuan Ye’ Award Professional Competition – First Prize Winner: Exquisite Landscape

2014 Australia Award for Urban Design 2014; Policies, Programs and Concepts – Small Scale

Photo of original Goods Line network. The power station that is now the Powerhouse Museum can be seen at the upper centre of the image. Government Printing Office Collection, Mitchell Library, State Library of NSW