With the report by former Deputy NSW Premier, Peter Collins, on the potential for Garden Island to accommodate a cruise line terminal expected in the near future, the Urban Taskforce has looked at whether the new use could begin a rethink on the future of this strategic part of Sydney Harbour.
“Clearly the big growth in cruise liners using Sydney Harbour will need to be accommodated with a new terminal east of the Harbour Bridge,” says Urban Taskforce CEO, Chris Johnson. “The NSW Government has asked former Deputy Premier, Peter Collins, to see if a new cruise line terminal can be accommodated along with Navy uses on Garden Island. To contribute to discussion on how Garden Island could evolve the Urban Taskforce has commissioned international architects LAVA to look at how Garden Island could evolve over future decades as the Navy uses were relocated.”
“Our research has found that Australia’s first Government Architect, Francis Greenway, in a letter to the Australian newspaper on April 28, 1825, outlined his earlier proposal for a pyramid to be constructed on Garden Island. We believe that Greenway’s vision can now be constructed with a pyramid structure that houses events and functions on this iconic location.”
Here is an extract from Greenway’s letter:
‘A plan was likewise drawn for a cenotaph on Garden Island to the memory of Princess Caroline. The design was a pyramid upon a particular base…… The whole front of the island toward the harbour could have been contrived so as to have formed part of the base of the pyramid with steps leading up to it in various directions. The island was to be planted in the same style of landscape gardening as the government domain.
I am, Sir, your obedient humble servant, F. H. GREENWAY’
“The evolving vision for Garden Island has three distinct stages. The first stage maintains the navy as prime user and adds a cruise terminal and the reinterpreted Greenway pyramid. The second stage, after a decade or so could see some navy components relocated to Botany Bay and more apartments and hotel development designed as buildings covered in gardens. A final third stage, some decades off, would assume the navy has relocated to Botany Bay, Jervis Bay or Newcastle and Garden Island becomes an exciting new garden precinct surrounded by Sydney Harbour.”
“The evolution of Garden Island would follow a trend for Sydney Harbour where heavy shipping uses relocate to Botany Bay and new resort style development is planned to help accommodate Sydney’s growing population. Barangaroo is an example of this revitalisation where container shipping uses were relocated to Port Kembla and the site was redeveloped with commercial, retail and residential buildings. In a similar manner to Barangaroo the northern part of the site at Garden Island wound remain as parkland. Another example of the revitalisation of sites on Sydney Harbour is the Bays Precinct where most shipping uses have now relocated and redevelopment options are being proposed.”
“The imaginative proposal by Chris Bosse of LAVA architects continues their expressive approach to architecture through many competition proposals. LAVA have offices in Australia and Europe and were named European Architects of the Year in 2016.”
“The Urban Taskforce asked financial modellers KWC Capital Partners for an estimate of the end value of the Garden Island revitalisation. The KWC measure of the end value is $15 billion.”
“The proposal we have produced is in the spirit of looking forward to the need to accommodate a growing population in Sydney where people want to live and clearly a location on Sydney Harbour would be a very popular location for many people.”
Below are images of the LAVA proposal for Garden Island:
