Hill ThalisWe consider it highly unfair that we were not contacted by the Stateline programme to be given an opportunity to respond to the offensive and misleading statements made by Paul Keating on its programme of 26th February, 2010. Please see our response to this programme at Barangaroo February 2010
See also The NSW Greens Response and drawings that compare the new proposal to the existing planning controls at the Sydney Morning Herald
The NSW government has announced that Lend Lease has been awarded the tender for the southern development parcel at Barangaroo. This is, of course, extremely disappointing to our practice – but more importantly has significant implications for the future of Barangaroo as a publicly accessible part of the city.
The new plan has removed the fine grained street pattern of the winning proposal, in favour of a privatized plaza-scape. Even more alarmingly, the proposal includes private development on the harbour itself. The herald reports that, ‘Lend Lease argues that its proposal will ‘‘gift’‘ large swathes of land back to the community by making the most of the site open to the public and creating two new coves.’ This land will not be “gifted” back to the community – it already belongs to the community – and the public interest should be guiding its transformation.
The site should be developed with a finely worked, intelligent and cohesive public structure that enshrines public access and allows for a mix of uses to develop over time. Not just corporate headquarters and glitzy international hotels – but housing, public housing, spaces for small businesses and studios, small local parks, gymnasiums, libraries, community rooms and the like.
Instead development interests, aided and abetted by the state government, are once again pursuing commercial interest over public rights.
We reject Chris Johnson’ assertion that the distinction between public and private space is ‘naive’ and Elizabeth Farrelly’s assertion that this distinction is ‘folly’. This distinction is basic – and fundamental to the democratic nature of the city.
We will continue to review material relating to the new proposal as it becomes publicly available, and to post updates relating to this material on our site. In the interim, we refer you to the following media articles
Letters to the Editor, Developer will take over the site, Grand slam for barangaroos grand plan and Barangaroo harbours controversy
The Department of Planning has approved the Barangaroo Authority’s previous amendments to the proposal for the Headland Park. Our submission to the Department outlined our concerns regarding the process and the deficiencies of that proposal.
See also Matthew Moore’s articles in the Sydney Morning Herald Storming the headland, and Architect sees conspiracy in Barangaroo lockout or perhaps enjoy Butterpaper’s eloquent graphic analysis of the transformation of Barangaroo.
The St Peters Green project has been completed. See the St Peters Green website for Testimonials from the new residents.
Philip Thalis presented a talk at the Institute of Architects at Manning Street, Potts Point at 6.30, Tuesday 15th September. The talk was titled ‘Project and Polemic’ and presented the recent work of the practice.
Pyrmont Point Park was awarded the National award in the CCAA Bi annual Public Domain Awards. It was also the winner of the Precincts award and the NSW award.
Sustainable Sydney 2030 won a commendation in the Australia Award for Urban Design 2009. The jury said, ‘The Vision is exciting and innovative, and incorporated widespread engagement with the community. It successfully resolved complex, strategic planning issues into detailed and well illustrated urban design solutions.’ See the ArchDaily website for further details.
Philip Thalis and Peter John Cantrill have jointly won this year’s Australian Institute of Architects NSW Presidents Award for Contribution to the Architecture Profession.
As well as directing their respective award winning practices, the pair have worked together intermittently over the last 25 years on a wide range of architectural, urban and cultural activities.
Their joint work spans award winning buildings and competition winning schemes, research and publication, architectural tours and university lectureships.
They are currently working on a new book on the Public Rooms and Public Spaces in the City of Sydney, extending their long fascination with the city’s best architecture.
A series of six films to encourage women to study and work in the fields of Architecture and Construction, where they are statistically under-represented, have been produced by Naomi Stead and Sam Scotting for the University of Technology, Sydney. The films feature interviews with leading female architects, project managers and quantity surveyors and includes parts of an interview with Sheila Tawalo from Hill Thalis. Women in Architecture and Construction
Philip Thalis presented the 2009 Paul Reid Lecture at the University of NSW on Wednesday 11th March. The subject of the lecture was Sydney: re-imagining the public project.
Sustainable Sydney 2030 was awarded the Urban Planning Achievement Award at the NSW PIA Awards for Excellence in Planning held in November. The jury considered the Sydney 2030 to be, ‘an outstanding example of a broadly based strategic plan designed to achieve a sustainable city. The Plan is visionary, incorporating dramatic proposals to reduce the impact of the car in the CBD, including the restoration of interesting pedestrian routes and pedestrian-friendly traffic management.’
Red Wall Jack Floyd Reserve won a Commendation in the Small Projects Category of the 2008 NSW Architecture Awards. The jury citation calls the park, ‘modest, monumental and memorable; the project appears to have always existed.’
The Rose Bay Apartments have won a High Commendation in the Professional Excellence in Building Awards for Beach Constructions.
Hill Thalis is working with the City of Sydney on a joint master planning process for an Affordable Housing Demonstration Project – one of the projects identified in the Sustainable Sydney 2030 strategy.
The project involves the construction of up to 700 new affordable, social and private housing units on sites in Glebe and Ultimo.
Housing Minister Matt Brown and Ms Moore have signed a Memorandum of Understanding committing the City of Sydney and the NSW Government to a partnership to develop affordable housing on a 3.6 hectare site in Glebe.
“We are aiming to develop new models of affordable housing which can be replicated around Australia. We want to ensure a healthy mix of accommodation types, not a segregated city with an increasing gulf between the haves and the have-nots,” Ms Moore said.
Hill Thalis, Aspect Studios and CAB Consulting’s recently completed Pyrmont Point Park Master Plan received an award for Excellence at the AILA State Awards.
Substation No. 175 was featured in the Sydney Morning Herald’s Domain 10 year anniversary issue. Elizabeth Farrelly describing it as having, ‘the romantic eccentricity of an Italian tower house, its slender section allowing natural ventilation throughout. A perfect inner-city nest.’
