Sydney Park Fitness Equipment
Sydney Park Fitness Equipment
Location
Sydney Park, Alan Davidson Oval Precinct, NSW, Australia
For
City of Sydney
Design Team
Jane Irwin Landscape Architecture
Diverse Places
Sydney Park is the biggest park in the City of Sydney. It is the major focus of the open space network in Alexandria and has a critical role to play as a local and regional park. Sydney Park Fitness Equipment was an opportunity to tap into one of the many and varied activities park activities, in this case a growing need for structured exercise facilities. The site is adjacent to Alan Davidson Oval, that caters for both formal and informal sporting events. The path around the oval is particularly heavily utilized by walkers and as part of an informal exercise circuit. The siting of the new fitness area was chosen to take advantage of the ‘lost rooms’ on the periphery of the park identified in the Sydney Park Master Plan Background and Site Analysis package, and ties into the existing path network. By doing so, the formerly underused and furtive site was drawn back into the major circulation routes of the park. Material selection included recycled brick and concrete; resilient materials that reflect the areas industrial heritage, as well as the fine grain culture of the surrounding suburbs such as Newtown and Erskineville. This was truly a site specific exploration that remains sensitive to the existing character of the park while providing a vital piece of community infrastructure.
