The city of Sydney has launched an international design competition as part of the the Green Square Development Project for a new Library Centre and Plaza at the heart of a 278 hectare area south of the city centre. The Green Square Development project is an initiative to redevelop a 278 hectare area south of the city centre of Sydney, Australia by bringing in diverse functions of housing, open spaces, offices and facilities that contribute to a vibrant, sustainable community. The library will be designed as a community centre and hub and used as an educational and creative resource, as well as a lounge. The project is allotting $40 million for the design and construction of the new facility and should be an integrated whole between the library and plaza which will also be a host to public arts, community events and markets. Stage one entries close on August 21st. Visit the official Green Square Library website to learn more.
More details on the competition and the project after the break.
The competition invites local and international architects to develop the Library and Plaza which has a budget of $25 million and $15 million, respectively. More than a library, the design should create a community and cultural hub that will support the functions of a community service centre, community meeting rooms, commercial kitchen and an arts and crafts space. Lord Mayor Clover Moore points out that the designs should pay special attention to safety, seating, climate and circulation.
It is also important to consider the future plans of Green Square, to ensure that the hub works within the plans and future integration of the library and plaza among the many other facilities and functions of the area. Over the next ten years, the area will be developed with the library and plaza as the community center at its heart along with a town center, which will be a hub for commercial and retail activity; a range of community facilities in existing unused buildings; a range of parks to promote healthy activities and fitness; and sustainable infrastructure through a range of transportation options and measures for water conservation and reclamation as well as low carbon initiatives in public spaces.
The design competition will be held in two-stages. Stage-one entries close on August 21, after which entries will be judged by a diverse panels of designers, architects, cultural experts and assessed by a cost planner. The short-listed projects will be asked to submit detailed submissions for the next stage. To ensure public participation, the entries will be displayed for community consultation. Winning designs are scheduled to be announced by 2013 and planned for completion in 2016. Visit official Green Square Library website to sign up for registration updates on the project.
via Australian Design and Review
