New South Wales Sites
Sydney
Olympic Park, Homebush Bay, Sydney
artilce published Landscape Australia no 22 (3- 2000)
Is it a drain... is it a plain...? no it's...
... The Corridor at Millennium Parklands
by Leonard Lynch
A gentle rise clothed with remnants of mature Ironbark Forest (Eucalyptus paniculata) contrasts with a bold burial mound of re-interred pollutants; a hilltop panorama from mountain to city skyline and Olympic architecture, viewed across a mosaic of golden grasses; framed vistas along sinuous, reed-lined wetlands; and intimate glimpses through stands of clear-stemmed eucalypts to quiet clearings and meandering walks.
On a journey through the Hill Road Corridor at Millennium Park in, say, five years' time, this diversity of character and richness of leisure experience will provide the visitor with a powerful reinterpretation of both the immediate environment and Sydney's disappearing regional flora.
While still embryonic, The Corridor's landscape remediation has already reversed the Hill Road site's 'first appearances' as a polluted wasteland-the state to which the area had sunk during the decades when Homebush was a forgotten, industrial backwater. Beyond transforming appearances, however, a significant parkland is intended here—one with a clear identity as a place in its own right, complementing but distinct from other attractions of the areas Olympic legacy This vision was embodied in the Millennium Parklands Concept Plan prepared by the Hassell Project Team, which also saw the area structured around a series of norms and walls of vegetation. Design of The Corridor started from that simple premise.
The long-term aims have been central to the planning and development of the Corridor, as expressed in three consistent design principles CLOUSTON has applied:
Creativity
The making of a forested parkland-one that is clearly a designed landscape, and extends the image, rather than being a consequence of sound bush regeneration.
Robustness
By embracing the plethora of variables-unknown site conditions, indeterminate construction demands, and the inevitable growth and change in user activity—evolution is used as a positive contributor to the landscape's form, fit and sustainability.
Memorability
By putting emphasis on an engaging, and meaningful, landscape structure-creating a plucc where a natural aesthetic and diversity of cvpcuicncc foster both personal and community identification with the parklands.
In factual terms, The Corridor covers 50 hectares of creek line, wetlands and landfill mounds, generally running north—south along the line of Hill Road. It stretches 3.5 kilometres through the Olympic site from the Parramatta River edge to one of Sydney's major transport routes, the M 3.
The Corridor divides the Newington Athlete's Village from the Games' main sport venues, and a Millennium Marker terminates both upper and lower ends. Over 6.5 million seedlings have been planted in revegetating the terrestrial parts of The Corridor alone.
These numbers, and the challenges of the short construction program are, however, not uncommon features of Sydney landscape works pre-Olynipics.
Evolving Landscape
What does distinguish The Corridor though, and worth watching evolve, is a landscape of so many disparate parts coming together as a significant whole. The parklands network of pathways and nodes—built or planned—weave together sweeping wetlands, grass slopes and icon markers of the parklands as they are today Later, they will join the forested nulls and rooms of the creek floor to the wide, open sky and grasslands atop 'Woo la ra'.
Paths and tracks, yet to he, may skirt the edges of ponds or link secluded clearings. Whenever they happen, it is intended that they develop other levels of adventure and identity from within The Corridor's natural framework.
Similarly, the rooms now within The Corridor, such as the large and formal Newington Oval (defined by precise groves of young Angophora (Angophora (loribunde and A. costata), will eventually he complemented by others discovered as incidentsthe sheltered niche, an opportune view, a convenient clearing for play or picnic. Within this evolving form, Sydneys unique, but now rare Cumberland Plain vegetation will eventually play a major part as closely planted walls, open canopy woodland screens, or occasionally as features for their imagery or botanical interest. The variety of habitats, activity and character the parkland structure promises will continue in the mosaic of native grasslands, adjacent aquatic plantings and occasional mown meadows that comprise the patchwork of The Corridor floor.
As a site inextricably linked to the errors of past management, the new Corridor Landscape demonstrates how boldness of resolve and a creative approach to the remediation process can not only reverse but actively enhance the Parklands of a new Millennium.
Client
Olympic Co-ordination Authority
Principal Consultant, Landscape
Development Architects for Design and Documentation: CLOUSTON
Oblique aerial view of The Corridor (Photo courtesy: Skycam).
All other images courtesy CLOUSTON
