14 Sep 2021
SYDNEY, 14 SEPTEMBER 2021
The winning design for the village green and community centre at Midtown MacPark authentically captures Frasers Property Australia’s vision for Sydney's next great urban neighbourhood, with the added amenities set to deliver new character and identity to Macquarie Park.
Frasers Property has unveiled landscape architect McGregor Coxall and architect CHROFI as the winners of the design competition.
A focal point for leisure and community activities, is the brand-new landscaped village green with public open space and a range of community amenity open to all members of the public.
Philip Coxall, Director of McGregor Coxall says the place-led design is inspired by the need to create an all-inclusive space where the community building, with its pool, gym and range of other amenities, sits comfortably and effortlessly within the landscape.
“Our design creates a dramatic place for people to explore. The landscape and architecture amplify the experience of a sunken garden, utilising level changes throughout the topography to create a destination worthy of exploration,” says Mr Coxall.
The village green occupies a lower level, offering beautiful park views to surrounding apartment buildings, with direct access to the main street. The layout of the easily accessible, inclusive space allows for flexibility to organise community activities such as movie nights, Sunday markets and community workshops.
The green space is integrated with a 25-metre swimming pool and a 434 sqm gymnasium, creating a seamless connection from indoors to out. Both the gymnasium and swimming pool will be available to residents and the public on a pay-as-you-go basis.
There will also be a mixed-use space containing a community centre, café, multipurpose rooms, all connected by a veranda to create direct engagement with the park.
The vision for Midtown MacPark is to facilitate site-wide interconnectivity to create an active and engaging public space for the whole community. Residents will obviously enjoy easy access to the community centre and open space but so will the general public.
“While providing a unique aesthetic, the site maintains optimal functionality through the plaza and green space’s connectedness to the fitness and leisure amenities in the floor below,” says Mr Coxall.
“With shared swimming and exercise facilities, outdoor gardens, seating and a playground for children of all ages, the public domain provides a safe place of equal engagement and treatment for individuals from all walks of life,” he says.
Nigel Edgar, General Manager Development NSW, Frasers Property Australia, says the village green and community centre at Midtown MacPark are for everyone.
“At Midtown, there is a considered focus in creating an attractive and inviting place for the community to thrive in – where private spaces merge with the public. We want to create a flexible space that can adapt to the community’s daily, weekly, and seasonal needs,” Mr Edgar says.
“This will be a place where the community can actively spend an entire day – from sitting in the café overlooking the park, exercising in the gym or the pool, hiring community rooms for functions, taking the kids for a day in the park, exploring the community gardens, attending farmers markets, or exploring the adjoining retail facilities.
“We are pleased to have McGregor Coxall and CHROFI on board and are looking forward to our vision for the park becoming a reality,” says Mr Edgar.
Frasers Property Australia is working with the NSW Government to deliver the $2.1 billion masterplanned mixed tenure community, which will integrate approximately 3,300 apartments with a range of community facilities including a proposed school and childcare, aged care, a new central park, pocket parks and playgrounds, a community centre, pool and gym, and all the amenities for modern living within walking distance, underpinned by world-class design. It will be developed in stages over the next 10 to 12 years.
Midtown MacPark is one of the best-connected communities in Sydney, surrounded by great schools, workplaces, shopping centres, a university, easy access to arterial roads, extensive public transport options including rail and bus connections, and an easy walk to the Metro station.
At Midtown MacPark, world-leading architects including Bates Smart, Hassell, COX and Candalepas Associates have collaborated to create a masterplanned community diverse in architectural form, integrating new homes with access to community amenities and green open space to create a sustainable, inclusive, and vibrant place to live.
Frasers Property is targeting a 6 Star Green Star Communities rating for Midtown MacPark and the vision is for the community to be carbon neutral in operation.