Building on the NSW Government’s vision for a pedestrian and cycle connection from Central to Darling Harbour, ASPECT Studios have led the design for the transformation of this disused Rail Corridor into a vibrant ‘public campus’.
Commissioned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and in collaboration with design partners CHROFI, ASPECT Studios have created a public destination which connects more than 80,000 tertiary students, locals and visitors to the many major attractions of Sydney’s much-loved Darling Harbour.
The former elevated rail corridor features a series of ‘platforms’, which can be used for a variety activities including, public entertainment, recreation, festivals and study. It will further connect arts, education and cultural institutions along Sydney’s Cultural Ribbon.
The Goods Line is an example of the potential for design to transform isolated city spaces into creative and connected public destinations which enhance public life.
This unique elevated park has seen a disused Rail Corridor running from Railway Square to Darling Harbour reimagined as a leafy, energised civic spine in the heart of Sydney’s most densely populated area.
“What was once a conduit for trade has been reinterpreted to carry the precious cargo of a thriving neighbourhood: culture, creativity and community,” says The Goods Line project lead designer and ASPECT Studios director, Sacha Coles.
The design utilises the robust materials associated with its rail infrastructure past – gravel, concrete, steel, and timber. Through a design process of digital modelling and a construction process largely undertaken by prefabrication, The Goods Line is a place which speaks to a new kind of social infrastructure where multiple opportunities for gathering, playing, and exchange of ideas can occur.
By embracing unique modes of interpretation, the rich history of The Goods Line is revealed and at the same time have created a new identity for the precinct.
Loaded with civic ambition and public purpose The Goods Line was painstakingly planned and executed. Each pre-cast concrete panel, light fitting, planting and stool were laboured over and intimately designed down to their finest detail.
See MoreThe strategy behind the design of The Goods Line was to create a strong civic spine and establish a range of opportunities for people to come together, inhabit/ occupy and use the space. Underpinning this first stage is a larger civic ambition of connecting streets and neighbourhoods with the new spine of The Goods Line north.
Client
Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority
Project Design Lead
ASPECT Studios
Design Partner
CHROFI
Key Stakeholders
University of Technology Sydney, City of Sydney Council,
Powerhouse Museum, ABC, TAFE NSW
The New South Wales Government’s vision for a connected Sydney has come to life. Commissioned by the Sydney Harbour Foreshore Authority and design led by ASPECT Studios in collaboration with CHROFI, The Goods Line is an example of the potential to transform an isolated city space through design, into a creative and connected public destination which enhances the public life of Sydney.
This green urban oasis is a new public campus, a centrepiece and a pedestrian spine for one of the most urbanised and formally isolated parts of Sydney. It is a human centred place offering a range of social experiences from the individual to collective and for all demographics.
See MoreThere is a strong overarching narrative in the design of The Goods Line about the move from rail infrastructure to social infrastructure, how the site has moved from a place with a rich industrial history to one of social interaction, creative industries, and the promotion of innovation.
See More2014 Australia Award for Urban Design Policies, Programs and Concepts – Small Scale