Sydney is the latest city to begin construction on an elevated park; theirs will be built on a 500-meter stretch of abandoned railway. The park, called the Goods Line, will include bike paths, study pods, and outdoor workspaces for local students.
The two-stage construction process begins with the 250-meter Goods Line North, where the Powerhouse Museum will be connected to Frank Gehry's Chau Chak Wing Building (an addition to the University of Technology). The opening of the latter building is set to coincide with the opening of the Goods Line North.
After the completion of this phase, projected for November 2014, the second stage will reshape an extant pedestrian walkway.
The construction contract has been awarded to Gartner Rose. The Goods Line was designed by ASPECT Studios and Choi Ropiha Fighera.
More about the project from the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority:
• Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority is leading this whole-of-government project which will open up a pedestrian and cycle network from Railway Square through Ultimo to Darling Harbour.
• The Goods Line will create a new urban hub and connect more than 80,000 tertiary students, locals and visitors to the many major attractions of Sydney’s much-loved Darling Harbour.
• The corridor will feature a series of elevated spaces or platforms which can be used for a variety of public entertainment, recreation, study and other activities.
• It will further connect arts, education and cultural institutions along Sydney’s Cultural Ribbon.
• The design captures and interprets the original heritage corridor, state significant rail underbridge and signal box.
• It will be a great new public space for pop-up events, invigorating and bringing new activity into the precinct.
• The Goods Line North is the upcoming stage of a larger project. The next stage will be to redesign The Goods Line South, which runs from Ultimo Road underbridge through to Railway Square. In total, the northern and southern sections will be approximately 500 metres long.
• Transport for NSW is conducting a feasibility study on a further extension of The Goods Line through to Mortuary Station and Redfern.
The Goods Line North is meant to bring new activity into the area, as imagined below.
This rendering is the concept of the Goods Line South, which will be constructed after the northern section.
Check out the video released by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority, which is leading the project.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
PBK, DLR Group among nation's largest K-12 school design firms, according to BD+C's Giants 300 report
A ranking of the Top 75 K-12 School Design Firms based on Building Design+Construction's 2009 Giants 300 survey. For more Giants 300 rankings, visit http://www.BDCnetwork.com/Giants
| Aug 11, 2010
Turner Building Cost Index dips nearly 4% in second quarter 2009
Turner Construction Company announced that the second quarter 2009 Turner Building Cost Index, which measures nonresidential building construction costs in the U.S., has decreased 3.35% from the first quarter 2009 and is 8.92% lower than its peak in the second quarter of 2008. The Turner Building Cost Index number for second quarter 2009 is 837.
| Aug 11, 2010
AGC unveils comprehensive plan to revive the construction industry
The Associated General Contractors of America unveiled a new plan today designed to revive the nation’s construction industry. The plan, “Build Now for the Future: A Blueprint for Economic Growth,” is designed to reverse predictions that construction activity will continue to shrink through 2010, crippling broader economic growth.
| Aug 11, 2010
New AIA report on embassies: integrate security and design excellence
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) released a new report to help the State Department design and build 21st Century embassies.
| Aug 11, 2010
Section Eight Design wins 2009 Open Architecture Challenge for classroom design
Victor, Idaho-based Section Eight Design beat out seven other finalists to win the 2009 Open Architecture Challenge: Classroom, spearheaded by the Open Architecture Network. Section Eight partnered with Teton Valley Community School (TVCS) in Victor to design the classroom of the future. Currently based out of a remodeled house, students at Teton Valley Community School are now one step closer to getting a real classroom.