Shakespeare Place

 

Shakespeare Place

Location
Gadigal Country

Shakespeare Place, Sydney, NSW

For
Property and Development NSWl

Design Team
Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture

Hill Thalis Architecture & Urban Projects

WSP Indigenous Specialist Services

Arup

AECOM

Public Domain

The library public domain is a new public space for Sydney, part of the Macquarie Street East precinct that contains a collection of some of Australia’s most significant institutions and heritage buildings including: 

  • State Library of NSW;

  • Parliament of NSW;

  • The Mint;

  • Sydney Hospital and Sydney Eye Hospital;

  • Hyde Park Barracks;

  • Registrar General’s Building

The Precinct represents an important intersection of Aboriginal, colonial, and 20th century NSW political, social and cultural history. Our project seeks to rebalance: restore pedestrian space in a vehicle dominated environment, embed indigenous cultural values in a colonial heritage precinct, and is guided by indigenous cultural advisors; co designers within the team, and consultation with relevant groups at many levels.

The proposal is for the construction of a permanent public place for the city, significant change in the road alignment to Sir John Young Crescent including removal of one lane of traffic and left slip lane into Macquarie Street to create a forecourt of approx. 3,600sqm.  The project includes new public lawn areas, endemic planting, relocation of statues, regrading to improve accessibility, road works, signage and wayfinding, a kiosk, lighting, public art, and infrastructure to support events. 

The Project will create an enhanced address to the State Library through a series of activated public plazas where people can gather, relax in a comfortable public place, learn about events in the library, engage with library functions and enjoy moments of pause and respite.