Commencing in March 2009 a number of capital works projects are being undertaken by the Western Sydney Parklands Trust to add futher facilities to the Parklands. The Trust understands that some sections of the 27 km of Parklands Track are utilised more than others. Initially we are focusing on the most regularly used areas.
In the northern precinct a new loop walking track at Doonside Regional Park, combined with a new cross country cycle track and a dog leash-free area are being installed.
Residents of Liverpool LGA will benefit from new loop walking tracks within the larger Greenway Views Loop and new sealed bypass cycle tracks. An educational amptheatre will also be installed.
A number of entry points to the Parklands Track are also being made more visible and attractive to visitors. A major directional signage project will also commence shortly which will make it easy to find your way.
New Parklands Furniture
The Western Sydney Parklands Trust created a Furniture Design Competition and invited five designers to present their ideas for a new suite of furniture to be installed throughout the Parklands. Three designers were selected and here are their design rationales submitted for the competition:
Street Furniture Australia Pty Ltd
Street Furniture Australia (SFA) brings Western Sydney Parklands' unique visual identity to life with the vandal-resistant, durable and adaptable bushland range.
Versatile, purpose built components are designed to complement both remote and urban areas of the parklands. Oversized triangular battens, chamfered concrete forms and continuous integration of the WSP logo strengthen and unify the aesthetic of the product family. Made from pre-cast concrete, galvanised mild steel and SFA's sustainable NEOWOOD, the entire range is robust, distinctive and, best of all, low maintenance.
Urban Fountains and Furniture
Urban's designs reflect a simple, clean and uncluttered look that would not detract from the naturally beautiful surroundings, but seamlessly blend in. Instead of standing out, the furniture is designed to enhance the look of the local landscape and provide a welcoming attraction to the various recreational spaces.
The Urban designs also seek to integrate the community into the Parklands by providing designs that 'share space'. By careful positioning of arm rests and seat dividers, the designs enable more of the community to enjoy the facilities without that feeling of intrusion. The carefully integrated Western Sydney Parklands motif on the furniture would enable the wider community to identify with the parklands as a whole across a number of different locations.
Botton & Gardiner
Botton & Gardiner proposes a distinctively designed suite of furniture that provides a continuous, recognisable thread to the diverse landscapes of Western Sydney Parklands while connecting strongly to the landscape and existing architecture. The proposed materials, colours and forms have been selected to reflect the pre-settlement open woodland, the early pastoral lands and the modern parklands and their structures.
In terms of form, the designs all employ the cantilever as the main visual and structural element, reflecting the predominant structural device in both nature and the existing architecture of the Parklands. The materials, precast concerete, Duraslat wood composite and steel, also make reference to the natural and built environments as well as offering durability and zero maintenance characteristics.
Emerdyn
The rational for our design concept evolved from going back to the early inception of the park and garden furniture in Sydney, mixed with new innovative design. This consisted of concrete sub-frames with timber battens, adding aluminium castings and stainless steel, in a complimentary fashion.
The aim was to achieve a robust modular design that did not impede on the natural appearance of a bush landscape. By using concrete as our base, we were able to create a free flowing design that is not restricted by the manufacturing process. The modular system allows for the simple adjustment of the tooling that is required to change from seat to bench very effortlessly, making it a cost effective manufacturing process.
And the winner is............ Botton & Gardiner
