Back in December, the NSW Government revealed its pretty exciting plans to transform Darling Harbour – a distinctly daggy harbourside precinct – into something a whole lot more appealing. The 2050 vision for Darling Harbour has been designed in collaboration with First Nations communities and local residents, and is set to include more green public spaces, public art, recreational space and a sustainably designed 50-storey residential and commercial building. Now, plans for three new public spaces in the precinct have been revealed, with Darling Harbour set to welcome a state-of-the-art playground, a shell-shaped live music venue in Tumbalong Park and a bamboo forest walk in the Chinese Garden of Friendship.
If you’ve visited Darling Harbour in recent weeks, you’ll have noticed a huge structure dominating Tumbalong Park. And if you mistook the building for an oversized cockle shell, you’re not far wrong – the structure was built as a nod to the cultural significance of Tumbalong, which means ‘the place where shellfish is found’ in Gadigal. The towering sound shell has been built thanks to a $10 million investment from Placemaking NSW, and complete with two 9 x 5 metre digital screens, permanent speakers and acoustic panelling, it’s set to become Sydney’s newest venue for live concerts, as well as sports events and community festivals. The Tumbalong Sound Shell has been described by Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully as “Sydney’s first major purpose-built, live outdoor cultural venue in the heart of the city... destined to become an iconic landmark.”
Over in the Chinese Garden of Friendship, you’ll find something a little more low-key, but still a special addition to the area. A new bridge and bamboo forest walkway titled the ‘Meandering Pathway of Tranquillity’ has just opened thanks to a $1 million expansion connecting to the existing garden and adding an additional 20 per cent of accessible public space. The first major upgrade to the Garden since it opened in 1988, the ‘Meandering Pathway of Tranquillity’ takes visitors across the Lotus Pavilion and the Seven Sages Walk, finishing near the base of the waterfall.
For Darling Harbour’s younger visitors, a 2,000 square-metre state-of-the-art new playground has just been revealed, doubling the size of the existing playground and designed to cater for children and teenagers. The $10 million project comprises a sprawling maze of ramps, decks and bridges, plus a climbing tower and slide and plenty of seating for parents and carers.
Despite not being widely loved by Sydneysiders, Darling Harbour is the third most visited destination in NSW – with an estimated 27 million visitors every year.
According to the NSW Government, this unassuming corner of Sydney is on the up, with the Darling Harbour 2050 vision set to transform the precinct into “a modern, accessible and enjoyable precinct with plenty of open space for recreation and play.”
You can learn more about the revitalisation of Darling Harbour over here.
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