The NSW Government has released new images of Bank Street Park in Sydney, designed by OCULUS, Collins and Turner, Greenaway Architects, and Greenshoot Consulting.

Located within the State Significant Blackwattle Bay Precinct, this project will provide 1.1 ha of open space, transforming land fenced off from the community for decades into a green and accessible waterfront park.

Against the backdrop of the iconic ANZAC Bridge, unique gathering spaces have been proposed, through ongoing consultation, to acknowledge and reveal the site’s history and honour Blak Diggers. With respect for Country, the design seeks to celebrate and re-establish local plant communities that would have once occurred naturally on the site.

Gender-sensitive urban design principles have been adopted to create safer, welcoming, and inclusive spaces for all visitors. The park will include a new cycleway, walkways, and new and improved access to Blackwattle Bay for recreational water users such as kayakers and other paddle craft. A new community building with marina offices and a café will be constructed as part of the park, with amenities located in adaptively re-used buildings and façades linked by a new plaza. Dragon boat storage doubles as a viewing deck to take advantage of the expansive water views across the bay.

The Blackwattle Bay Precinct is targeting net zero carbon by 2041, an ambitious vision supported by sustainable transport connections and a 5-star Green Star Communities rating. The park features a foreshore promenade, the next piece in the puzzle of the 15-kilometre continuous harbourside walk from Woolloomooloo to Rozelle Bay, which will be one of Australia’s longest harbourfront walkways.

A temporary pop-up park designed by OCULUS opened in October and will remain available for the wider community to enjoy while the Bank Street Park project progresses.

The local community and key stakeholders have been integral in informing the park’s design, and the wider community is now encouraged to have their say on the design. To find out more visit blackwattlebay.insw.com.